Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday (local time) refused to answer questions regarding Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed during his visit to the United Nations headquarters for the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The incident occurred as Sharif was approached by reporters.
Hafiz Saeed is the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based militant group designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, the United States, and India. He has been accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. In 2019, Pakistan convicted Saeed on terror financing charges, and he is currently serving a prison sentence.
India has repeatedly called on Pakistan to take credible action against cross-border terrorism and to bring perpetrators of attacks like the 2008 Mumbai attacks to justice. The issue of terrorism, particularly emanating from Pakistan, remains a major point of contention between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Sharif's refusal to comment on Saeed comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over terrorism. The 81st UNGA session is being held in New York, where world leaders are gathering to discuss global issues. Pakistan's Prime Minister is expected to address the assembly, but no details of his speech have been released yet.
