Mohalla Johar, Lahore: Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed’s Pakistan hideout under spotlight after Pahalgam terror attack

NEW DELHI: Fearing a targeted strike in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan’s ISI has tightened security around Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jamaatud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, who is being housed in Lahore’s densely populated Mohalla Johar area.
Despite being officially imprisoned, Saeed continues to receive VIP-level protection, including the deployment of former Special Service Group (SSG) commandos and enhanced surveillance systems.
Sources said his residence, situated in a civilian-heavy locality surrounded by a mosque, madrasa, and residential homes, has been converted into a temporary sub-jail. A dedicated control room now monitors movements within a one-kilometre radius using gesture-recognition CCTV cameras.
Saeed, 77, remains wanted by both India and the US for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks and is also accused of masterminding the recent Pahalgam massacre. He is serving a 46-year prison sentence for seven terror financing cases but has made over two dozen public appearances in the last three years, the latest being in February.
His name resurfaced again after the Lawrence Bishnoi gang vowed retaliation for the Pahalgam killings, circulating a threat on social media with Saeed’s photo and warning of a high-profile target in Pakistan.
Despite being “under arrest” since 2019, Saeed frequently visits terror launch pads in PoK and camps in Muridke, Rawalkot, and Bahawalpur. In 2020, after India abrogated Article 370, Saeed rebranded Lashkar as The Resistance Front, which remains operational.