MULTAN: A Pakistani court on Friday sentenced Hafiz Saaed, a militant leader linked to the Mumbai terrorist attacks, to 31 years in prison on charges of terror financing, his lawyer said.
The sentence is the latest for Saeed, who was arrested in 2019. He was sentenced the following year to 15 years in a separate case, also on charges of terror financing.
Saeed, designated a terrorist by the US Justice Department and with a $10 million bounty on his head, has never been charged in connection with the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.
He has been serving the 15-year term at home under a government order. His lawyer, Naseeruddin Nayyar, said Saeed can appeal the latest sentence.
Saeed is the founder of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, which was blamed for the Mumbai attacks. The group was active for years in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is split between Pakistan and India but claimed by both in full.
Following his arrest, the Pakistani government seized Saeed’s extensive network of mosques, schools, seminaries and charities and other assets in the country. Under Pakistani law and unless a sentence is thrown out or reduced on appeal, Saeed will have to serve them consecutively.
Relations between Pakistan and India were strained after the attack on India’s financial hub in 2008. The rival South Asian powers have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over Kashmir.
Pakistan sentences anti-India group leader Hafiz Saeed to 31 years
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Pakistan sentences anti-India group leader Hafiz Saeed to 31 years
- The sentence is the latest for Saeed, who was arrested in 2019
- In 2020, he was sentenced to 15 years on terror financing charges
Pakistan police say 27 cops killed in 134 attacks in restive Bannu district in 2025
- Bannu is a restive district in northwestern Pakistan where militants frequently attack law enforcers
- Police say at least 20 drone attacks by militants killed nine civilians, injured 19 cops during the year
PESHAWAR: Police in Pakistan’s northwestern Bannu district said this week that at least 27 police personnel were killed in 134 attacks while 53 militants were killed during various security operations in the volatile area during the year, as Islamabad grapples with a surge in militancy.
Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province is one of Pakistan’s most dangerous districts, where militants affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) frequently target law enforcers in attacks.
Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan told reporters during a press briefing on Wednesday that at least 134 “terrorist attacks” were recorded in Bannu district during 2025 that targeted police stations, posts, checkpoints, police mobiles and police parties.
“As a result of these attacks, 27 police personnel were martyred and 79 were injured,” a statement issued by Bannu Police said on Wednesday.
It said at least 168 intelligence-based operations were conducted by police across the district during the year, in which 105 militants were arrested and 65 were killed.
Khan informed media that militants carried out 20 drone attacks targeting police installations and civilian areas in 2025, killing nine civilians and injuring 19 police personnel.
“However, following the installation of an anti-drone system in Bannu district on Jul. 18, 2025, the situation improved significantly,” the statement said. “More than 300 drone attacks were thwarted, and four drones were struck/spoofed.”
He said the Bannu police force has been equipped with drones, anti-drone guns, sniper rifles, armored personnel carriers (APCs), thermal imaging systems, tactical helmets and bulletproof vehicles.
“Bannu police reiterates its resolve to continue its struggle to maintain law and order in the district, completely eliminate terrorism and protect the lives and property of the public,” the statement concluded.
Pakistan blames the Afghan government for facilitating TTP attacks inside its territory, a charge Kabul denies. The surge in militant attacks has strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, leading to deadly border clashes in October that saw dozens killed and several wounded on both sides.
