Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, a founding member of terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and the deputy of 26/11 Mumbai Attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, died due to cardiac arrest while in the custody of the Pakistani government, the United Nations has confirmed.
According to the United Nations Security Council's Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, Bhuttavi died on 29 May last year in a city called Muridke in Pakistan's Punjab province.
Bhuttavi was a key figure in the LeT ranks. On at least two occasions, when Saeed was detained, Bhuttavi served as the acting emir, managing the group's day-to-day functions and making independent decisions on its behalf. He took charge during the aftermath of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, a period during which Saeed was held until June 2009.
Bhuttavi instructed its leaders and members, issuing fatwas authorising the organisation's operations. His involvement in preparing operatives for the Mumbai terror attack included delivering lectures on the merits of martyrdom operations. The 2008 Mumbai attacks resulted in the tragic deaths of over 150 people.
In addition to his role in terrorist activities, Bhuttavi was responsible for LeT's madrassah network and played a crucial part in establishing an LeT organisational base in Lahore in 2002.
The United Nations committee also confirmed that Saeed is currently in the custody of the Pakistan government. Saeed, 73, is serving a 78-year imprisonment sentence, following his conviction in terror financing cases.
The Sanctions Committee stated that Saeed has been in the custody of the Government of Pakistan since 12 February 2020, as a result of his conviction in seven terror financing cases.Saeed's address is listed as House No. 116E, Mohalla Johar, Lahore, Tehsil, Lahore City, Lahore District, Pakistan, as of May 2008.
In December, India asked Pakistan to extradite Saeed, who Indian probe agencies want in several terror cases.
