India Charges Pakistan-Based Terrorist Group with Planning Deadly Attack

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday charged Pakistan-based and Pakistan-backed terrorist group Lashkar‑e‑Taiba (LeT), one of its commanders, and five others with planning and carrying out the Pahalgam attack. In a charge sheet filed in the NIA Special Court, Jammu, the agency treated The Resistance Front (TRF), the organisation that claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, as a proxy of the LeT, and accused it of planning, facilitating, and executing the act of terror. On April 22, terrorists attacked a location popular with tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam and killed 26 persons, including 25 tourists and one local resident. It was the worst terrorist attack in many years and prompted India to launch ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7 to strike terrorist facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan‑occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). The NIA described the attack as “religion-based targeted killings”. In a statement, the NIA said the charge sheet accused Sajid Jatt of LeT; three Pakistani terrorists —Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran, and Hamza Afghani— along with two Pahalgam residents, Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothatd, in the Pahalgam attack case. The NIA identified Suleman, Jibran, and Hamza as the terrorists who carried out the attack. Previously, in July, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced they were killed by security forces in Srinagar. Separately, in June, Ahmad and Jothatd were arrested for harbouring and supporting the three terrorists. “During interrogation, the two men had disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack and had also confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated to proscribed LeT terror outfit. Further investigation in the case is continuing,” the NIA said in the statement. Previously, Sajid has been described as an LeT commander. Suleman, Habeeb, and Jibran were part of several teams operating under the command of Sajid, according to The Print. The report described Sajid as a senior LeT operative who had previously served in south Kashmir’s Kulgam for several years. Currently, the report said, he is believed to live in the village of Changa Manga near Lahore. Sajid, LeT, and the others named in the charge sheet have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; the Arms Act, 1959; and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967; and have been charged with waging war against India, the NIA said in the statement. Further investigation in the case is continuing, the NIA said. Delhi's AQI hit 437, prompting the Singapore High Commission to advise its nationals to stay indoors, wear masks, and follow local guidelines. Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan was triggered, restricting construction and industrial activities, and encouraging hybrid work for schools and offices. Severe smog disrupted daily life and air travel, with over 400 flights delayed and authorities urging residents to limit outdoor activities and wear masks. Get the latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.