Six collecting funds for terror outfits held in Pak

Lahore, May 25

Six militants have been arrested for allegedly collecting funds for terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) in Punjab province.

Pakistani security forces have launched a crackdown on terror financing after mounting pressure from the global community.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Punjab Government arrested the six members of the proscribed organisations from various parts of the province, CTD spokesman said in a statement.

The CTD said those arrested were collecting funds for terror financing for their proscribed organisations JeM and LeJ. “No member of any proscribed organisation will be allowed to collect funds for financing terrorism and extremism under the law of the land,” the CTD said in a statement.

Cases have been registered against the suspects under the anti-terrorism law for committing offences of terrorism financing.

Muhammad Zahid and Irfan Ahmad of JeM were arrested from Gujranwala, and Zafar Iqbal of JeM from Rawalpindi. Similarly, Muhammad Hanzala and Hamza of LeJ were arrested from Lahore while Ijaz Ahmad of the same banned organisation from Multan.

Paris-based international terror financing watchdog FATF in June last year placed Pakistan on its watch list in a bid to push the country to halt support for militant groups. — PTI