New Delhi/Jammu: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a detailed charge sheet against Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), its senior operative, and five others for allegedly planning and executing the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that shook Jammu and Kashmir earlier this year.
The charge sheet, submitted before the NIA Special Court in Jammu, identifies The Resistance Front (TRF)—the group that claimed responsibility for the attack—as a proxy and frontal organisation of LeT, acting at the behest of handlers based in Pakistan, according to official investigation findings.
NIA Chargesheets Pak- Based LeT/TRF & 6 other Accused in Pahalgam Terror Attack Case pic.twitter.com/yDnFPw2DGi
— NIA India (@NIA_India) December 15, 2025
The terror strike on April 22 targeted a popular tourist area in Pahalgam, killing 26 people, including 25 tourists and one local resident. Security agencies have described it as one of the most brutal terror attacks in Kashmir in recent years, drawing widespread national and international condemnation.
Based on intelligence inputs and forensic evidence, the NIA termed the incident “religion-based targeted killings,” stating that the victims were deliberately chosen to create fear and disrupt peace in the region.
Pakistani Terrorists, Local Aides Named
As per the charge sheet, the accused include Sajid Jatt, a key LeT commander, three Pakistani terrorists—Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran, and Hamza Afghani—along with two local residents, Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothatd, accused of providing shelter and logistical support.
Investigators have identified Suleman, Jibran and Hamza as the gunmen who carried out the attack on the ground. In July, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had informed Parliament that all three terrorists were eliminated in an encounter in Srinagar following coordinated operations by Indian security forces.
Arrests, Interrogation and Wider Conspiracy
The two local accused were arrested in June after sustained follow-up investigations. According to the NIA, during interrogation they confirmed the identities of the attackers, their Pakistani nationality, and their direct affiliation with the proscribed LeT terror network.
Security officials say the investigation also relied on digital footprints, financial trails, eyewitness accounts, and intelligence shared by central agencies, strengthening the case against cross-border terror modules operating under new names like TRF to evade international scrutiny.
Aftermath and Operation Sindoor
The Pahalgam massacre prompted India to launch ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7, targeting terrorist launch pads and infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), signalling a firm response to cross-border terrorism.
The NIA has maintained that the probe is ongoing, with efforts underway to identify handlers, financiers, and remaining operatives linked to the conspiracy.
“Further investigation is continuing to expose the complete terror ecosystem behind the attack,” the agency said.
The case once again underscores India’s long-standing position that terror groups operating from across the border continue to target civilians and tourists in Jammu and Kashmir, using local networks and proxy outfits to execute attacks.
