Hafiz Saeed's Fate Uncertain After Terrorist Qatal's Assassination

Following the assassination of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Abu Qatal in Pakistan, foreign affairs experts have suggested that Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, might face a "similar fate" soon.

Robinder Sachdeva, speaking with ANI, said that Abu Qatal's killing indicates that those tracking LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and other terrorists are closing in. "Hafiz Saeed's close aide was killed, which means those who are tracking them have reached quite close. It is said that those who live by the sword die by the sword, and Hafiz Saeed might as well have to face a similar fate. Abu Qatal was involved in a lot of attacks in Kashmir, Rajouri, Poonch, PoK," Sachdeva said.

Sachdeva speculated that Saeed might have tightened his security following his nephew's assassination. "Hafiz Saeed's next step might be to increase his security and ask help from the Pakistani army, though they are already protecting him... No one can say who is behind this incident, but this could also have been possibly done by Pakistani authorities to defame India," he added.

Major General Dhruv C Katoch (Retd.), commenting on reports of another person being injured in the attack, suggested that it could be Hafiz Saeed himself. "The other injured person has been admitted to the Pakistan military hospital, and this has created a buzz since Pakistan is very tight-lipped about the identity of the person, and some emerging reports suggest it is Hafiz Saeed," Katoch told ANI.

He added that no terrorist is truly safe in Pakistan, even with the Army's protection and that they will eventually be "hunted down."

"I don't think it matters whether it is Hafiz Saeed or not, the important point is that he has not been able to sleep comfortably at night... Since he is on the run and on the target list, no terrorist in Pakistan is safe despite the fact that the Pakistani army is giving him all the security... The broader message going out is that they are not safe despite the security and they will be hunted down," he said.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Abu Qatal, charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the January 2023 Rajouri attacks, has been shot dead in Pakistan after an assailant opened fire on his vehicle on the Mangla-Jhelum Road, local media reported on Sunday. An armed guard of Qatal was also killed in the attack that took place on Saturday night, as reported by an Islamabad-based outlet, The News International.

Qatal was the nephew of Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Saeed is wanted in India for numerous terror-related cases.