Two JuD members jailed for financing terror in Pakistan

Lahore, January 27

An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Monday sentenced two members of the outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) to 15 days in jail for financing terror.

“The Anti-Terrorism Court, Lahore, convicted Haji Iqbal and Muhammad Haris in a terror financing case registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA),” a court official said. They have also been fined Rs 10,000 each.

The FIA’s Counter Terrorism wing had arrested them during the crackdown on the banned outfits in connection with Pakistan’s commitment towards the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). They were booked under relevant provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his close aides Zafar Iqbal, Muhammad Ashram, Yahya Mujahid, Abdul Rehman Makki and Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad are also facing terror-financing charges. Saeed has already recorded his statement before the Lahore court in two such cases in which he pleaded not guilty.

The cases of terror-financing have been registered against him in Lahore and Gujranwala cities on the application of Counter Terrorism Department of the Punjab police.

Cross-examination of prosecution witnesses against Saeed and his three close aides by the defence counsel has already been concluded. The prosecution had produced a number of witnesses against Saeed. The Anti-Terrorism Court-I (ATC) indicted Saeed and his close aides — Hafiz Abdul Salam, Muhammad Ashraf and Zafar Iqbal — on December 11. The CTD had registered 23 FIRs against Saeed and his accomplices in different cities of Punjab province and arrested him on July 17. He is held at the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.

Saeed-led JuD is believed to be 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.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice. — PTI

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