Edging on to Pakistan’s booking Hafiz Saeed in terror funding, India says ‘it should be irreversible and verifiable’

New Delhi, July 4: Being responsible for harbouring terror activities and being a harbinger of terrorism, Pakistan has always shielded itself and its terrorists from the entire world. Coming out in open after being isolated across the globe, Pakistan has acted or believed to have been acted on terror organisations lingering in its soil.

In an interesting move, Pakistan’s provincial Punjab government has slapped terror financing charges against Hafiz Saeed and the trusts run by him. Pakistan has registered cases against Saeed and his members who were involved in raising terror funds operating under the umbrella of charity and fuelling terrorism by promoting it. However, as Pakistan booked Saeed, India asserted that such actions were taken before, but now, it is important for the neighbouring country to take actions which is irreversible and verifiable.

The cases have been registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Pakistan’s Punjab province. If charges against Hafiz Saeed are proven under Section 11 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, then he is likely to be sentenced to life imprisonment.

The CTD spokesperson said that the department launched large investigations into financing of Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba in connection with implementation of UN sanctions against these designated entities and persons. It was in accordance to the direction by National Security Committee (NSC) in its meeting on 1st January, which was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan for implementing National Action Plan.

Giving details, the spokesman said that on 1st and 2nd July, the CTD Punjab registered 23 cases against leadership of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) for making assets from terrorism financing through trusts/NPOs including Dawatul Irshad Trust, Muaz-Bin-Jabal Trust, Al-Anfaal Trust, Al-Hamd Trust and Al-Madina Foundation Trust.

The CTD official further added, “They have been booked for holding and using trusts to raise funds for terrorism financing. They made these assets from funds of terrorism financing and held and used these assets to raise more funds for further terrorism financing. Hence, they committed multiple offences of terrorism financing and money laundering under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. They will be prosecuted in anti-terrorism courts for the commission of these offences. These assets or NPOs have already been taken over by the government in compliance with the UN’s sanctions.”

Along with Hafiz Saeed, four main members of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) who have been mentioned in the cases are- Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, Abdul Rehman Makki (brother-in-law of Hafiz Saeed), Ameer Hamza and Mohammad Yahya Aziz. Whereas, the main charities listed are namely Dawat Irshad Trust, Moaz Bin Jabal Trust, Al-Anfaal Trust, Al-Madina Foundation Trust & Al-Hamd Trust which have been operating from major Pakistan cities like Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan.