Four years after Pulwama attack, Pakistan yet to prosecute, hand over JeM leadership

New Delhi: Since the suicide bombing in Pulwama, which resulted in the deaths of 40 members of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Pakistan has not responded to India's request to extradite or prosecute the JeM leadership, which includes Maulana Masood Azhar and his brothers Abdul Rauf Asghar, Ibrahim Athar, and Ammar Alvi. India's legal pleas for information and action on the main terrorist attack planners, who drove India and Pakistan to the verge of war in 2019, have been rejected by the Imran Khan and (now) Shehbaz Sharif-led administrations. In a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jammu, the Pulwama trial has already begun. The organisation filed false accusations in December against detained JeM agents in the Valley who took part in the plot. According to those with knowledge of the situation, the prosecution is currently presenting its case in court. A total of 19 people have been charged by the NIA, including the terrorists Azhar, Rauf Asghar, and Ammar Alvi who are on the UN terrorist list; their nephew Umar Farooq who travelled to India to carry out the attack but was killed in an encounter on March 29, 2019; and 12 Kashmir residents who helped with reconnaissance, logistics, and the construction of the car-laden bomb.The trial has begun and the charges have already been set forward in the case. In addition to Interpol issuing red notices against them, detailed circumstantial, technical, and material evidence regarding the role of the JeM leadership has been provided to the international community and the Pakistani government, but as usual, Pakistan is protecting these terrorists rather than taking action against them, according to a home ministry official who wished to remain anonymous.

Ammar Alvi, who is thought to have had regular contact with Farooq both before and after the assault, was classified as a "individual terrorist" under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act by the Ministry of Home Affairs in April of last year (MHA). The administration designated Azhar, Asghar, and Athar under UAPA in 2020.Ammar Alvi is also being targeted for UN designation as a global terrorist with assistance from allies like France and the US.Twelve days after the Pulwama assault, the Indian Air Force (IAF) launched an operation against a Jaish terror camp located deep within Pakistan, which led to a duel involving fighter planes from the two countries on February 27. The NIA investigation found that Ammar Alvi and his older brother Rauf Asghar frequently instructed Farooq over the phone about the Pulwama plan from Pakistan. Operational control of JeM's operations in India is split between Alvi and Asghar. On Tuesday, political figures like Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party, home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, and others paid respect to the victims of the Pulwama assault. "Remembering the brave warriors we lost in Pulwama on this day." Never will we forget the ultimate sacrifice they made.In a tweet, Prime Minister Modi stated, "Their courage inspires us to create a strong and developed India." The CRPF members' bravery, according to Shah, is an inspiration in the battle against terrorism, and the nation will never forget their sacrifice. In the valley, the CRPF also paid tribute to its soldiers.