Pathankot Attack Mastermind Shahid Latif Shot Dead In Pakistan

Shahid Latif, the mastermind of the Pathankot attack and one of the most-wanted terrorists in India, was fatally shot by unidentified individuals in Sialkot in Pakistan on Wednesday, according to reports.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had filed a case against Shahid under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The Government of India had listed Shahid as a terrorist.

Latif was shot at point-blank range by shooters who were aware of the local topography, The Times of India reported citing local reports.

Who Was Shahid Latif?

Hailing from Gujranwala in the Punjab province of Pakistan, Shahid Latif was associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed and served as the commander of the Sialkot sector.

The man behind the Pathankot attacks, which killed seven Indian security officials and a civilian, was released by the UPA 2 government as a 'Goodwill Gesture' to Pakistan. Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) operative Shahid Latif was freed in 2010 to mend ties with Pakistan, which was going through a rough patch of Indo-Pak relations.

Convicted of terror charges, Latif was in India till May 28, 2010, until he was freed along with 25 other terrorists who were languishing in various jails.

Incidentally, after being freed, Latif went back to join the JeM and was working as the chief handler of all the terrorists in India.

He has allegedly become the latest addition to the list of India's most wanted terrorists, who have been eliminated recently in countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

On September 30, Qaiser Farooq of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Karachi.

According to a report, at least 17 terrorists, wanted by the Indian authorities, have been killed since March 2022. It includes Zahoor Mistry, one of the hijackers of IC-814, Ripudaman Singh Malik, a suspect in the 1985 Air India bombing, Syed Khalid Raza, the Al Badr Commander, Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was designated as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967.