Hafiz Saeed's indictment put on hold again; day after India accuses Pakistan of inaction

Hafiz Saeed, the perpetrator of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and chief of terror organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba could not be indicted by Lahore's anti-terrorism court for terror financing charges as the authorities strangely failed to produce the other co-accused at the high profile hearing on Saturday.

The development comes a day after New Delhi accused Islamabad of letting the mastermind for the Mumbai terror attack "roam freely" and enjoying "Pakistan's hospitality." Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in New Delhi on Friday that India had shared all the evidence with Pakistan and it was Islamabad's responsibility "to take action" against the perpetrators of the attack.

Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) postponing the date has fixed December 11 for framing charges against Hafiz Saeed and his co-accused Malik Zafar Iqbal. "Case against Hafiz Saeed and others under the FIR 30/19 Counter-Terrorism Department of Punjab police was fixed for framing of charges in connection with terror financing before the Anti-Terrorism Court-1 Lahore but strangely co-accused Malik Zafar Iqbal was not produced from jail. Due to this reason, the case has been adjourned till December 11 for further proceedings and for framing of the charges," a court official told PTI after the hearing.

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Hafiz Saeed was brought to the Court from Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail with tight security. As per reports, journalists were barred from entering the court premises to cover the proceedings citing security concerns. The court official said judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta has directed the authorities to ensure that co-accused Iqbal attends the next hearing on December 11. In the last hearing on December 1, the judge had fixed December 7 as the date for the indictment of Hafiz Saeed and others after hearing the arguments of prosecution and defence lawyers.

Anti-Terror case 

Pakistan's Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) had registered 23 FIRs against Hafiz Saeed and his accomplices on the charges of "terror-financing" in various cities. The LeT chief was arrested on July 17 and has been detained at the Kot Lakhpat jail since.  The cases have been registered in Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan for collection of funds for terror financing through assets/properties made and held in the names of Trusts/Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) including Al-Anfaal Trust, Dawatul Irshad Trust, and Muaz Bin Jabal Trust.

With India's pursuance and global pressure, Pakistan was forced to launch a probe into Hafiz Saeed and his organisations LeT and JuD and its charity wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) for their holding and use of trusts to raise funds for terrorism financing. According to the CTD, the investigation was launched into financing matters of proscribed organisations - the JuD and the LeT - in connection with implementation of the UN sanctions against these designated entities and persons as directed by NSC (National Security Committee) in its January 1 meeting chaired by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for implementing National Action Plan.

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On July 3, the top 13 leaders of the banned JuD outfit, including Hafiz Saeed and Naib Emir Abdul Rehman Makki, were booked in nearly two dozen cases for terror financing and money laundering under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The CTD had registered an FIR against Saeed and others for illegally grabbing a piece of land in Lahore and setting up a seminary.  According to officials, JuD's network includes 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house, and an ambulance service.

FATF has expressed its displeasure over Pakistan's inaction in fighting the terror outfits extending its grey list status with warnings of further action if the country fails to comply with the action plan suggested. The new deadline for Pakistan is February 2020 before which it has to act on the recommendations of the FATF, failure to which might get it blacklisted. Terrorist Hafiz Saeed has been operating in Pakistan, despite being designated as a global terrorist and the country facing the heat of the global community and FATF. In a sham crackdown on terror, the LeT chief as declared guilty of terror financing by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in a Pakistani court on August 7. 

On March 2019, a fearful Pakistan had even blocked a team of UN to interview the terrorist, by rejecting their visas. The JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The JuD chief also carries a USD 10 million American bounties on his head for his role in terror activities. However, Hafiz Saeed's 8th arrest coincided with Imran Khan's maiden US visit after taking charge as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. 

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Here's an account of the times Hafiz Saeed was arrested:

• December 2001
• May 2002
• October 2002
• August 2006 (twice)
• December 2008
• September 2009
• January 2017