Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif faced direct questions over terrorism and Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed during his visit to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday. Asked first about Pakistan’s alleged harbouring of terrorists and later about prosecuting Saeed, Sharif did not respond on either occasion. The exchanges brought renewed attention to India’s longstanding concerns over Pakistan-based terror networks and Saeed’s alleged role in major terror cases.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s appearance at the United Nations was marked by an uncomfortable exchange with reporters who confronted him over one of the most contentious issues in India-Pakistan relations — the alleged presence and activities of Pakistan-based terror groups.
As Sharif entered the UN headquarters for the 81st United Nations General Assembly, a reporter asked him directly, “Prime Minister, when will you stop harbouring terrorists?” Sharif did not respond and continued into the premises.
The issue resurfaced when the Pakistani prime minister was leaving the UN headquarters. He was asked another pointed question: “When will you prosecute Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed?” Sharif again declined to answer. Reports from the scene said he walked past the reporters without addressing either question.
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a proscribed terrorist organisation. In India, he has been designated as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
His name has also featured prominently in the investigation into the conspiracy surrounding the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The National Investigation Agency has listed Saeed among the accused in the case and said that non-bailable warrants have been issued against him.
The issue gained another dimension following the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. In July 2026, the NIA named Saeed in a supplementary chargesheet relating to the case. The agency described him as a Pakistan-based LeT/TRF chief and alleged his involvement in the wider conspiracy behind the attack. These are allegations contained in the investigation and chargesheet, not a judicial finding of guilt.
The NIA’s investigation has continued to focus on Pakistan-based elements of the banned LeT/TRF. In its earlier chargesheet in the Pahalgam case, the agency accused the Pakistan-based LeT/TRF organisation of involvement in planning, facilitating and executing the attack, which killed 26 people.
Saeed’s subsequent inclusion in the supplementary chargesheet has therefore added to the significance of questions surrounding his status and prosecution in Pakistan.
The questions directed at Sharif came against the backdrop of a wider diplomatic confrontation between India and Pakistan at international forums.
India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of supporting or providing space to terror groups operating against India, while Islamabad has rejected such allegations. At the UN, Indian representatives have also raised concerns over developments in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and criticised Pakistan for what New Delhi describes as its attempts to divert attention from domestic issues.
The Hafiz Saeed episode nevertheless placed a particularly specific question before Sharif: whether Pakistan intends to take further legal action against a figure whom India has long accused of involvement in terrorism.
For New Delhi, Saeed remains closely associated with the LeT network and the 26/11 case, while his naming in the Pahalgam investigation has given the issue renewed relevance.
Sharif’s two unanswered exchanges at the UN did not resolve the question of Pakistan’s position on Saeed. Instead, they once again put the spotlight on Islamabad’s handling of individuals and organisations that India has identified as being linked to cross-border terrorism.
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