The authorities on Wednesday announced a crackdown against Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and his aides over terror financing and facilitation.
The counter-terrorism department (CTD) said it has launched 23 cases against Hafiz Saeed and 12 aides for using five trusts to collect funds and donations for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Two banned LeT-linked charities, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), were also targeted, the department said in a statement. “All the assets of these organisations and individuals will be frozen and taken over by the state,” said a counter-terrorism senior official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly.
The counter-terrorism department said the action is in accordance with UN sanctions against the individuals and entities.
According to the CTD press release, those booked include Hafiz Saeed, Abdul Rehman Makki, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Ameer Hamza, Yahya Aziz, Naeem Sh, Mohsin Bilal, Abdul Raqeeb, Dr Ahmad Daud, Dr Ayub, Abdullah Ubaid, Muhammad Ali and Abdul Ghaffar. The cases were registered in Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan on July 1-2 for collection of funds for terrorism financing through assets/properties made and held in the names of trusts/non-profit organisations (NPO), including Al-Anfaal Trust, Dawat ul Irshad Trust, Muaz Bin Jabal Trust, Al Hamd Trust and Al Madina Foundation Trust.
“Investigations have been launched into matters of JuD, LeT and FIF regarding their holding and use of trusts to raise funds for terrorism financing,” the CTD said. “They made these assets from funds of terrorism financing, whereas these assets were used to raise more funds for further terrorism financing,” it continued. “Hence, they committed multiple offences of terrorism financing and money laundering under Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. They will be prosecuted in anti-terrorism courts for commission of these offences,” it further said. “These assets/NPOs have already been taken over by the government in compliance with the United Nations sanctions,” it added.
The move follows pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which last year placed Pakistan on its ‘grey list’ of countries with inadequate controls over money laundering and terrorism financing. The international watchdog gave Pakistan an October deadline last month to improve its efforts against terrorism financing. The FATF has said Pakistan can end up on the black list when it reviews progress in a meeting later this year.
Hafiz Saeed, designated a global terrorist by both the United Nations and the United States, is one of the founders of LeT. The United States, which has pressured Pakistan to crack down on militant groups, has offered a $10 million reward for evidence leading to his conviction.
The LeT has been banned in Pakistan since 2002 and the charities since last year. Hafiz Saeed, who denies involvement in violence or funding militants, has been freed by courts after being detained at his home several times in the past.
