The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named Pakistan-based terrorist Sajid Jatt, also known as Saifullah, as the chief conspirator behind the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. The findings were detailed in a chargesheet filed on Monday.
According to the NIA, Jatt is a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander who operates and oversees the activities of The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit that claimed responsibility for the April 22 attack.
Direct Involvement of Pakistan Established
By identifying Jatt as the mastermind, the NIA said the investigation establishes the direct involvement of Pakistan in the planning and execution of the attack. The agency detailed handlers, funding channels, and tasking instructions traced back to Pakistan, reinforcing India’s long-standing allegations of cross-border terrorism.
Also Read – Nitin Nabin Appointed BJP Working President, Becomes Party’s Youngest to Hold Post
Investigators said Jatt coordinated target selection, timing, and logistics through encrypted communication platforms while operating from Pakistan.
TRF Identified as Lashkar Front
The NIA reiterated that TRF is a front organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba, created in 2019 to project militancy in Jammu and Kashmir as locally driven and to provide plausible deniability to Pakistan amid international scrutiny, including from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Details of the Chargesheet
The 1,597-page chargesheet, filed before a special NIA court in Jammu, names seven accused in the case. Besides Sajid Jatt, it also lists three Pakistani terrorists—Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran, and Hamza Afghani—who were killed by Indian security forces during Operation Mahadev in Dachigam in July.
The banned LeT-TRF and the accused have been charged under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and the Arms Act, including sections relating to “waging war against India.”
Also Read – Sydney Bondi Beach Shooting: 12 Killed During Hanukkah Event, One Gunman Dead, One Arrested
Arrests and Evidence
Two additional accused—Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothatd—were arrested on June 22 for allegedly harbouring terrorists and have also been chargesheeted. During interrogation, the NIA said, the accused identified the attackers as Pakistani nationals affiliated with LeT.
The agency stated that the conspiracy was traced through an eight-month scientific and forensic investigation.
