New Delhi: Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has ramped up security measures for Lashkar-e-Taiba founder and Jamaatud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, amid growing concerns of a possible Indian response following the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
According to reports, Saeed—who is officially incarcerated—remains housed in Lahore’s crowded Mohalla Johar area under what sources describe as VIP-level protection. Despite his conviction in multiple terror financing cases, he continues to receive elite security, including former Special Services Group (SSG) commandos and high-tech surveillance.
The Times of India, citing intelligence sources, reported that Saeed’s residence has effectively been converted into a makeshift sub-jail, fortified with a dedicated control room and a surveillance network capable of monitoring a one-kilometre radius using gesture-recognition CCTV systems.
Notably, Saeed, 77, remains a high-priority target for both India and the United States due to his alleged role in orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. His name has again surfaced in connection with the recent massacre in Pahalgam, with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang issuing an online threat, featuring Saeed’s photo and vowing retaliation on Pakistani soil.
Though sentenced to 46 years in prison across seven terror-related cases, Saeed has reportedly made over two dozen public appearances since 2019, the latest being as recent as February. Intelligence reports also suggest that he continues to visit terror training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including those in Muridke, Rawalkot, and Bahawalpur.
Following India’s revocation of Article 370 in 2020, Saeed is believed to have rebranded Lashkar-e-Taiba as The Resistance Front, which remains operational under his influence.
