New Delhi: Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed has been convicted in two terror financing cases and sentenced to five years jail, news agency ANI reported on Wednesday. This is the first time that Hafiz Saeed, who was arrested last year, has been convicted in a terror case.
Saeed is nominated in 29 cases pertaining to terror financing, money laundering as well as illegal land grabbing. The verdict was reserved against him in two cases on February 6, Dawn News said in a report.
During the trial of both cases, the court recorded the statements of 23 witnesses.
A Pakistan court convicts Jamat-ud-Dawa chief (JuD) Hafiz Saeed for 5 years in terror financing cases. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/NeokVilX4p
— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2020
The JuD chief was arrested by CTD in July last year, while he was travelling from Lahore to Gujranwala. According to the CTD, JuD was financing terrorism from the massive funds collected through non-profit organisations and trusts including Al-Anfaal Trust, Dawatul Irshad Trust, Muaz Bin Jabal Trust, and others.
These non-profit organisations were banned in April last year as the CTD, during detailed investigations, found that they had links with the JuD and its top leadership.
The crackdown on JuD last year followed a warning by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to Pakistan to deliver on its commitments to curb terror financing and money laundering.
