Pakistan Link In Pahalgam Attack Established? Phone Recovered From Terrorists Traces To Karachi Bank
Pakistan Link In Pahalgam Attack Established? Phone Recovered From Terrorists Traces To Karachi Bank Published By, Last Updated: June 01, 2026, 11:16 IST Karachi-based Faysal
Pakistan Link In Pahalgam Attack Established? Phone Recovered From Terrorists Traces To Karachi Bank Published By, Last Updated: June 01, 2026, 11:16 IST Karachi-based Faysal Bank’s name has surfaced in earlier terror-related investigations linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Al-Qaeda. Pahalgam Attack Probe Suggests Terrorists Used Phone Diverted From Pakistan Import Consignment. Investigators probing the April 22, 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam have traced one of the mobile phones used by the attackers to a consignment imported into Pakistan in 2021 and financed by a Karachi-based bank that has previously figured in terror-related investigations. The development has emerged from the ongoing investigation by the Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police into the attack that killed 26 people. What we know about the two phones recovered? According to investigators, the attackers carried two Xiaomi Redmi-series phones – an orange Redmi 9T imported in 2021 and a black Redmi Note 12 imported in 2023. The devices, according to NIA chargesheet, were recovered from the three attackers – Faisal Jatt alias Suleiman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran and Hamza Afghani – after they were killed in an encounter at Mulnar Mahadev in Dachigam Forest, Jammu and Kashmir, on July 28, 2025.
An inquiry with Xiaomi Global revealed that the Redmi 9T belonged to a consignment imported by Tech Sirat Pvt Ltd, a Pakistan-based company with offices on Clifton Road in Karachi. According to NIA chargesheet, details supplied by Xiaomi stated that the consignment was delivered in Pakistan on January 1, 2021. Karachi Bank linked to import financing Investigation records show that the logistics company listed for the consignment was Faysal Bank. The delivery address was recorded as “St/02, Faysal House, Main Branch, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Karachi, Pakistan", the official address of Faysal Bank Ltd. The bank appears to have financed the import through a letter of credit, a routine banking arrangement for large consignments. Investigators believe the phone later used by the attackers may have been stolen from the imported consignment before eventually reaching Lashkar-e-Taiba. “The consignment must have been received by Tech Sirat, but documents show delivery to the bank since it financed the import. The phone used by the attackers appears to have been removed from the consignment and eventually reached the LeT," the NIA chargesheet mentions. Officials said that the phone remained unused from the time it was imported in 2021 until shortly before the Pahalgam attack.
Same bank has appeared in earlier terror probes Investigators stressed that there is no evidence linking Faysal Bank directly to the Pahalgam attack. However, the bank has surfaced in earlier terror-related investigations. A 2007 report by The New York Times said lawsuits filed after the September 11 attacks showed that Lashkar-e-Taiba and Lajnat-al-Dawa, a Kuwait-based organisation alleged to have links with Al-Qaeda, maintained accounts at Faysal Bank. The report also stated that lawyers representing the bank’s holding company denied any association with terror organisations and said the accounts were frozen once the entities were designated or banned. A 2002 report by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, later cited by the South Asia Terrorism Portal, also mentioned Faysal Bank among several banks where proscribed organisations allegedly maintained accounts. Second phone also lay dormant The second device recovered from the attackers, a Redmi Note 12, had been imported by Air Link Communications Ltd, based in Lahore. According to investigators, that phone too remained switched off from the time it entered Pakistan until the period leading up to the attack. Photos and maps recovered Investigators were unable to retrieve communication records from the devices because the attackers allegedly relied on long-range radio communication technology rather than mobile networks or the internet.
However, forensic examination recovered photographs and maps from the phones, including images of Baisaran Meadows and surrounding areas in Pahalgam. One photograph showed a tent set up on March 30, 2025, weeks before the attack. Investigators said the tent appeared to be pitched at an elevated location, with a stove visible beside it, providing the attackers with a strategic advantage over the movement of security forces in the area. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Delhi, India, India First Published: June 01, 2026, 07:46 IST News india Pakistan Link In Pahalgam Attack Established? Phone Recovered From Terrorists Traces To Karachi Bank Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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