Pakistan would be open to extraditing individuals of concern, including those accused of terrorism, to India as a goodwill gesture, provided New Delhi is willing to cooperate in the process. This statement came from Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during an interview with Al Jazeera.

Bhutto Zardari, who also leads the Pakistan People’s Party, suggested such a move could be part of a "comprehensive dialogue" between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, where terrorism is discussed as a key issue. When asked specifically if figures like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) founder Masood Azhar could be handed over as a sign of good faith, Bilawal responded, "As part of a comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan, where terrorism is one of the issues that we discuss, I am sure Pakistan would not be opposed to any of these things."

Blame on India's "Non-Compliance"

Bilawal clarified that current cases against these individuals in Pakistan are related to domestic offenses, primarily terror financing. However, he attributed the lack of progress on cross-border terrorism charges to India's "non-compliance."

"India is refusing to comply with certain basic elements that require that conviction to take place," Bilawal stated, emphasizing the need for Indian witnesses to testify in Pakistani courts. He added, "If India is willing to be cooperative in that process, I am sure there will be no hurdle in extraditing any individual of concern."

Both LeT and JeM are proscribed outfits in Pakistan, as per the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta). Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, is currently serving a 33-year sentence in Pakistan for terror financing. Masood Azhar, a UN-designated global terrorist, has also been banned by Nacta.
 

Pak doesn't know Azhar's whereabouts

Addressing concerns about Azhar's whereabouts, Bilawal claimed, "It is our belief that he is in Afghanistan," and admitted that Pakistan has so far failed to locate or arrest him. He further offered, "If and when the Indian government shares information that he is on Pakistani soil, we will be more than happy to arrest him." He also dismissed allegations that Hafiz Saeed was free, affirming, "It is factually not correct that Hafiz Saeed is a free man; he is in the custody of the Pakistani state."

Responding to India's increasingly assertive posture on terrorism, Bilawal labeled it a "new abnormal," warning that such an approach could harm both nations. “This does not serve the interests of Pakistan, and it does not serve the interests of India,” he concluded.

According to a 2025 Global Terrorism Index, Pakistan ranked as the second-most terrorism-affected country, experiencing a 45% rise in terror-related deaths, particularly near the Afghanistan border. Despite this, Bhutto has previously asserted that Pakistan has met the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) standards, citing numerous convictions and seizures of over 90 extremist-linked institutions.