Bhuttavi served as the acting head of LeT/Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JUD) on at least two occasions when Saeed was detained.

New Delhi: The United Nations on Thursday said that Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, a founding member of the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), is “dead”. Bhuttavi was deputy to Hafiz Saeed and was also the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attack. As per the The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) website, Bhuttavi died of cardiac arrest.

It is important to note that the Mumbai attack mastermind died of cardiac arrest on May 29, 2023 in Punjab’s Muridke. As per the UNSC, Bhuttavi died when he was in the Pakistan government’s custody.
Bhuttavi was designated a terrorist by the UN Security Council for his involvement in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts for LeT.

In 2012, the terrorist was listed on the UNSC wanted list as the as being associated with Al-Qaida. “Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi was listed on 14 March 2012 pursuant to paragraph 4 of resolution 1989 (2011) as being associated with Al-Qaida for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of” or “otherwise supporting acts and activities of” Lashkar- e-Tayyiba (QDe.118),” the UNSC website reads.

Bhuttavi served as the acting head of LeT/Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JUD) on at least two occasions when Saeed was detained. Notably, Saeed was detained days after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks and held until June 2009.

“Bhuttavi handled the group’s day-to-day functions during this period, and made independent decisions on behalf of the organization. Saeed was also detained in May 2002. Bhuttavi was also LeT/JuD’s preeminent scholar, had instructed its leaders and members, and issued fatwas authorizing LeT/JuD operations,” the website reads.