New Delhi, Feb 14: The Special Court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sentenced two overground workers (OGWs) of the Pakistan Army backed banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to 15 years in prison for aiding infiltrating terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.
Zahoor Ahmed Peer and Nazir Ahmad Peer, residents of Handwara in Kupwara district, were convicted for providing shelter, food, and logistical support to a heavily armed Pakistani terrorist who had infiltrated into the Valley in 2016 to carry out terror operations.
The NIA court highlighted that the duo played a key role in facilitating the terrorist’s movements and operations. Each accused has been sentenced under Sections 18 and 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 39 of the same law. The sentences will run concurrently for a maximum of 15 years, along with a total fine of Rs. 1,50,000 per person.
The case is part of a larger LeT conspiracy involving Bahadur Ali, alias Saifullah, a Pakistani national who infiltrated Kupwara with other terrorists. The group, armed with sophisticated weapons, explosives, and communication devices, remained in contact with their handlers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and planned multiple attacks across India, including in Delhi. Bahadur Ali was arrested in July 2016, while two other infiltrators were killed in encounters with security forces.
Following further investigation, NIA identified the role of Zahoor Ahmed Peer and Nazir Ahmad Peer in aiding Bahadur Ali and facilitating his meetings with other LeT operatives in Kashmir. The two were arrested in September 2017, chargesheeted in March 2018, convicted in December 2025, and sentenced today.
The verdict delivers a significant blow to the OGW network supporting Pakistani terrorists in the Kashmir Valley.