Hafiz Saeed booked by Pakistan's counter-terrorism department for terror financing

Lahore, July 3: Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed and 12 of his close associates were "booked" by Pakistani authorities on Wednesday for "terrorism financing" in 23 cases, amidst growing global pressure on Islamabad to act against militant groups launching deadly attacks in India.

Pakistan's counter-terrorism department (CTD) said the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and his aides used five trusts to "raise funds for terrorism financing".

"Hafiz Saeed of JuD and other leaders were booked in cases of terrorism financing," a CTD statement said.

Twenty-three cases have been registered against the leadership of JuD, Lashkar-e-Taiba and FIF (Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation) in Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan for collection of funds for terrorism financing through assets made and held in the names of trusts, including Al-Anfaal, Dawat ul Irshad and Muaz Bin Jabal, it said. The two other trusts are Al Hamd Trust and Al Madina Foundation.

The CTD said investigations have been launched into matters of JuD , LeT and FIF regarding their holding and use of trusts to raise funds for terrorism financing.

"They made these assets from funds of terrorism financing. They held and used these assets to raise more funds for further terrorism financing. They will be prosecuted in Anti Terrorism Courts for commission of these offences," it said.

The Hafiz Saeed-led JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attacks. It had been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

The Hafiz Saeed-led JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT, which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attacks. It had been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

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.

Pakistan authorities in March sealed the Lahore headquarters of JuD and FIF and detained over 120 suspected militants as part of an ongoing crackdown on banned groups.

PTI