Hafiz Saeed awarded 15-year jail in terror-financing case

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) Thursday convicted the chief of a banned organisation, Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, and five other group leaders in another case of terror financing and terrorism.

The court of Aijaz Ahmad Butter awarded Hafiz Saeed, Hafiz Abul Islam Bin Muhammad, Professor Zafar Iqbal, Muhammad Ashraf, Yahya Mujahid 15 years jail term, along with Rs20,000 fine, each.

Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki was awarded six months imprisonment.

The court convicted the JuD leaders in a case [FIR No 32/19], registered by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). The convicts were booked under sections 11-F(2), 11-N, 11-I, 11-J and others of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The sections relate to being a member of a banned outfit and supporting and arranging meetings of a proscribed organisation, illegal fundraising and buying properties with the raised funds.

The court also extended benefit of 382 CrPC to the convicts.

According to details of the cases against the JuD leaders, on July 3, 2019, the top 13 leaders of the JuD were booked in multiple cases for terror financing and money laundering under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997. The CTD, which registered the cases in five cities of Punjab, declared that the JuD was financing terrorism from the massive funds.