Pakistan: Counter-Terrorism Department declares Hafiz Saeed guilty of terror financing

The Pakistan Counter-Terrorism Department on Wednesday declared Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed guilty of terror financing, PTI reported. The Punjab Police filed a chargesheet against Saeed for terror financing at the Anti-Terrorism Court in Gujranwala.

“Since the case is related to Mandi Bhauddin district of Punjab therefore the prosecution requested the court to shift it to Gujrat ATC court,” a Counter-Terrorism Department official said. On the request of the department, the Gujranwala ATC transferred the case to the Gujrat ATC, he added. The official also said that the date of the next hearing has not yet been fixed.

Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the terror attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, was arrested while he was travelling from Lahore to Gujranwala on July 17. On July 24, the Anti-Terrorism Court extended the judicial remand of Saeed by another 14 days.

The JuD chief was arrested on terror financing charges. On July 17, immediately after his arrest, he was produced before the Anti-Terrorism Court in Gujranwala, which sent him to judicial remand for seven days. He was moved to Lahore’s high-security Kot Lakhpat jail.

On July 3, the Counter-Terrorism Department had registered 23 cases against Saeed and 12 accomplices for using five trusts to “funnel funds to terror suspects”. The Counter Terrorism Department filed the cases in five cities of Punjab province. It alleged that the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which is headed by Saeed, was financing terrorism from funds collected through non-profit organisations and trusts such as Al-Anfaal Trust, Dawatul Irshad Trust, and Muaz Bin Jabal Trust. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa is believed to be a front for the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

In March, Pakistan had added Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation to its list of proscribed organisations.