Dr Shaheen Saeed’s ex-husband says he’s shocked by terror-link allegations, denies knowing of her Jaish-e-Mohammed ties. Photo: ANI.
In the wake of the arrest of Lucknow-based Dr Shaheen Saeed, accused of aiding Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), her ex-husband Dr Hayat Zafar has spoken publicly, expressing shock and disbelief over the allegations against her.
“We were married and were living peacefully. We had two children. There was no problem of any kind… I had no information that she had a connection with terrorists,” Dr Zafar told reporters, describing his former wife as someone he never suspected of extremist involvement.
Dr Zafar, who was married to Shaheen for nine years, said their separation was amicable and unrelated to any ideological differences.
“We got divorced because she wanted to go abroad. I told her that it is fine here because we have all our relatives here,” he said, recalling their discussions before parting ways.
He emphasised that their marriage had been stable and ordinary, marked by domestic normalcy and no signs of radical behaviour.
“There was no problem of any kind,” he reiterated, suggesting that her alleged ties to terrorism came as a complete surprise.
According to Delhi Police sources, Dr Shaheen Saeed was arrested after a major explosives haul in Faridabad, near Delhi. Investigators allege she was assigned by Jaish-e-Mohammed to establish the India branch of its women’s wing, Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, which operates under the leadership of Sadia Azhar, sister of JeM founder Masood Azhar, in Pakistan.
Sadia’s husband, Yusuf Azhar, one of the masterminds behind the 1999 Kandahar hijacking, was reportedly killed during Operation Sindoor on May 7 this year.
Officials said Shaheen was a resident of Lal Bagh, Lucknow, and was arrested after police uncovered a JeM module in Faridabad, recovering an assault rifle from her car, a Maruti Suzuki Swift registered in Faridabad (HR 51).
Investigators said Shaheen Saeed was associated with Al-Falah University in Dhauj, around 45 km from Delhi, and maintained close links with Dr Muzammil Ganaie, alias Musaib, a doctor from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir.
Ganaie was arrested after police recovered 2,900 kg of explosives and inflammable materials from two rented rooms in Faridabad. He had been declared wanted by Jammu and Kashmir Police in connection with posters supporting JeM in Srinagar.
Following his interrogation, police discovered ammonium nitrate, 20 timers, and other suspected bomb-making materials.
Also Read: What Is Ammonium-Nitrate Fuel-Oil Used In High-Density Blast That Rocked Delhi’s Red Fort Area
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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