Pahalgam terror attack: NIA court to send summons to Hafiz Saeed through MEA

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jammu is set to issue summons to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed, who has been named as an accused in the Pahalgam terror attack case. The summons will direct Saeed to appear before the special NIA court in Jammu in connection with the trial. The legal communication is expected to be routed through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), as Saeed is based in Pakistan.

The court has already issued a non-bailable warrant against Saeed following his inclusion in the NIA's supplementary chargesheet. The agency has accused him of being a key conspirator behind the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, in which 25 tourists and a local resident were killed.

Trial could proceed in Hafiz Saeed's absence

If Saeed fails to appear despite the completion of the required legal procedures, the court could eventually proceed with a trial in absentia under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. The provision allows a court, subject to specified safeguards, to conduct proceedings and pronounce judgment against a proclaimed offender who has deliberately absconded to evade the trial and has no immediate prospect of arrest.

The law requires several procedural steps before a trial can begin in the accused's absence. These include the issuance of the prescribed warrants and publication of a notice requiring the proclaimed offender to appear before the court. A trial in absentia is not automatic. The court must satisfy the statutory requirements, and the accused must be provided legal representation if proceedings continue without his presence.

Hafiz Saeed named in NIA supplementary chargesheet

The NIA named Saeed in a supplementary chargesheet filed in July 2026. He has been arraigned both in his individual capacity and as the founder and chief of the banned LeT and its active proxy organisation, The Resistance Front (TRF). The agency has invoked provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The charges include allegations of waging war against India and conspiring from Pakistan in connection with the Pahalgam attack.

The supplementary chargesheet builds on the NIA's original 1,597-page chargesheet. According to the agency, the latest filing sets out details of the alleged Pakistan-based conspiracy, Saeed's alleged role and evidence gathered during the investigation.

Also Read: Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel's US visit opens new avenues for global investment, technology

What the original Pahalgam chargesheet said

The NIA filed its original chargesheet on December 15, 2025, naming seven accused, including Pakistan-based handler Sajid Jatt and the banned LeT/TRF organisation as a legal entity. The chargesheet also named three Pakistani terrorists, Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran and Hamza Afghani, who were subsequently killed by security forces during Operation Mahadev in July 2025.

Two local residents, Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothad, were arrested over allegations that they provided assistance to the terrorists. The accused were charged under provisions of the BNS, the Arms Act and the UAPA. The NIA alleged that the wider conspiracy was directed from Pakistan and included planning, facilitation and logistical support for the attack.

According to the agency, the attackers targeted tourists on the basis of their religious identity, allegedly seeking to create communal tensions and harm Kashmir's tourism industry. The attack took place at Baisaran near Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. Twenty-five tourists and one local resident were killed. The case was initially registered by Pahalgam Police before the Union Home Ministry transferred the investigation to the NIA.

NIA investigates local support network

The investigation has also examined the alleged network of local individuals who provided shelter, movement and logistical assistance to the foreign terrorists. According to the NIA's case, the attack allegedly followed an operational model involving Pakistan-based handlers, infiltrated terrorists and local support on the ground.

The agency has described TRF as a proxy organisation of LeT and alleged that the group was used to obscure the involvement of its Pakistan-based parent organisation. The killing of the three Pakistani terrorists during Operation Mahadev provided investigators with further leads, while the wider probe has focused on identifying the alleged planners, facilitators and supporters behind the attack.

With Hafiz Saeed now named in the supplementary chargesheet and a non-bailable warrant already issued, the next stage of the proceedings will determine whether the statutory requirements for a trial in absentia are fulfilled.