Pakistan Court yet again defers order in Hafiz Saeed's terror financing cases until Feb 11

Hafiz Saeed, once again got away from getting convicted in Pakistan, after Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore deferred from anuncing verdict on 26/11 mastermind. On Saturday, a Pakistan Court deferred matter until 11 February 2020.  Reportedly, terror financing case in Lahore was deferred after Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief asked Court to hear or pending cases n prounce a verdict toger. Yet ar delay in Hafiz Saeed's conviction comes amid global pressure on Islamabad to rein in terror groups. Previously, on December 7, 2019, an ATC failed to indict Saeed, as authorities failed to produce his co-accused in court. 

ATC Lahore judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta reserved verdict against Hafiz Saeed in two terror financing cases on Thursday. defense and prosecution completed ir arguments in a six-hour hearing, court official told PTI after hearing. official furr said prosecution produced some 20 witnesses in ATC who testified against Hafiz Saeed and his close aides for ir alleged involvement in terror financing.

READ| Pakistan & Terrorism: 6 Freudian slips by Pak leaders on Osama, Hafiz Saeed & Masood Azhar that give it all away

Hafiz Saeed was produced before ATC amid tight security. "As defence had already completed its arguments on January 30, prosecution presented more arguments and evidence before court on Thursday," official said. ATC had indicted Hafiz Saeed and ors on December 11. Hafiz Saeed has already recorded his statement before court in two terror financing cases against him in which he pleaded "t guilty". If convicted, this would Hafiz Saeed's first conviction in 20 years. 

Hafiz Saeed terror cases

CTD had registered 23 FIRs against Hafiz Saeed and his accomplices on charges of terror financing in different cities of Punjab province and arrested him on July 17. He is held at Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore. Hafiz Saeed-led JuD is believed to be front organisation for LeT which is responsible for carrying out 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. In December 2008, Saeed was put under house arrest in Pakistan under Maintenance of Public Order Law, only to be freed nearly 10 months later on orders of Lahore High Court. In 2019, Pakistan's counter-terrorism department held Saeed and his Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) guilty of 'terror financing'. 

READ| Hafiz Saeed pulling strings in Pakistan from behind bars: Pak media

(With PTI inputs)