Published 21:37 IST, August 28th 2020
Pakistan court sends three aides of 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed to 5-year jail term
a Lahore Court on Friday, convicted two close aides of 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed for terror-financing and sentenced them to five years prison imprisonment
In a major decision, a Lahore Court on Friday, convicted two close aides of 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed for terror-financing and sentenced them to five years prison imprisonment with a fine of Rs 50,000 each. The convicts - Malik Zafar Iqbal and Abdul Salam belong to the Al-Hamad Trust and used some of its properties for terrorism and terror-financing. This is another attempt by Pakistan to show concrete efforts to stop terror-financing after being put in the FATF's grey list in June.
Pakistan imposes sanctions on Dawood, Azhar and Saeed
Earlier on August 18, Pakistan imposed sanctions on 88 terrorists complying to the new UNSC's list, finally admitted to sheltering gangster Dawood Ibrahim, revealing his Karachi address. The order revealed Dawood's three Karachi-based addresses including his residence named 'White House'. Apart from Dawood, Pakistan has listed Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, ordering the seizure of all of their properties and freezing of bank accounts.
Previously in July, bank accounts of 26/11 mastermind - Hafeez Saeed who has been lodged in Kot Lakhpat jail for terror financing was restored. Ahead of the FATF plenary meet, on February 12, Saeed was convicted under ATA Section 11-F (2) and 11-N. On the other hand, Pakistan allegedly 'lost' Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar - the mastermind of the 2019 Pulwama terror attack - and his family. While Pakistan has never before acknowledged Dawood's presence, him residing in Pakistan has been globally suspected.
Hafiz Saeed conviction and FATF meet
Ahead of the FATF plenary meet, on February 12, the 26/11 mastermind, Hafiz Saeed was convicted under ATA Section 11-F (2) and 11-N. Additionally, he has been slapped with a fine of Rs15,000 in each case. This came even after the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore accepted his plea to club all the pending cases against him and then announce the verdict. The 26/11 mastermind and UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed had pleaded not guilty but was convicted and sent to high-security Kot Lakhpat jail in Pakistan.
Saeed's JuD is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. Saeed, an UN-designated terrorist also has a 10 million USD bounty placed on him by the American government in 2012. He was listed as a terrorist under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.
Updated 21:37 IST, August 28th 2020