Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and 12 of his close aides have been booked by Pakistani agencies for committing multiple offences of “terrorism financing and money laundering through the massive funds collected through charities,” as Islamabad faced intense international pressure to disrupt militant groups and curb their funding.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab Police ofPakistan said on Wednesday that it has registered 23 FIRs under terrorismcharges against 13 leaders of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) in connection with”terror financing” after they detected “irrefutableevidence” against them.
The move comes as the United States, the United Kingdom,France and some other prominent countries voiced concern over Pakistan’sfailure to do enough to contain militant funding on its soil.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which placedPakistan on the grey list in June last year of countries whose domestic lawsare considered weak to tackle the challenges of money laundering and terrorismfinancing, asked the country to complete its action plan against terror fundingby October or face action.
The Paris-based global body, working to curb terrorismfinancing and money laundering, has asked Pakistan to reassess the operation ofbanned outfits in the country.
According to a statement of the CTD, “In its ongoingcrackdown against terrorism financing by CTD Punjab, Hafiz Saeed of JuD andother leaders booked in cases of terrorism financing.”
The cases have been registered in Lahore, Gujranwala andMultan for collection of funds through assets/properties made and held in thenames of Trusts/ Non Profit Organisations (NPO) including Al-Anfaal Trust,Dawat ul Irshad Trust, Muaz Bin Jabal Trust, etc, the CTD said.
It said a large scale investigation has been launched intofinancing matters of proscribed organisations JuD & Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)in connection with implementation of UN Sanctions against these DesignatedEntities & Persons as directed by the NSC (National Security Committee) inits meeting on January 1, 2019 chaired by the Prime Minister Imran Khan forimplementing National Action Plan.
The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as aSpecially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward forinformation that brings Saeed to justice.
The CTD said persons booked under terrorism charges areSaeed, Abdul Rehman Makki (deputy chief of the JuD), MaliK Zafar Iqbal, AmeerHamza, Muhammad Yahya Aziz, Muhammad Naeem, Mohsin Bilal, Abdul Raqeeb, AhmadDaud, Muhammad Ayub, Abdullah Ubaid, Muhammad Ali and Abdul Ghaffar and others.
The CTD said investigations have been launched into mattersof JuD, LeT and FIF regarding their holding and use of trusts to raise funds.
“They made these assets from funds of terrorismfinancing. They held and used these assets to raise more funds for furtherterrorism financing. Hence, they committed multiple offences of terrorismfinancing and money laundering under Anti Terrorism Act 1997. They will beprosecuted in ATCs (Anti Terrorism Courts) for commission of theseoffences.”
It said their assets/NPOs have already been taken over bythe government in compliance with the UN Sanctions.
“Formal investigations on a large scale have beenlaunched against the top leadership of the JuD for terror financing after theregistration of FIRs against them during the last two days,” said aspokesperson for the CTD, Punjab.
According to the official, substantial and irreversiblepunitive/ legal action has been taken against them by the state, making theseorganisations “fully dysfunctional”. Pakistani authorities in March sealed the Lahoreheadquarters of JuD and FIF and detained over 120 suspected militants as partof an ongoing crackdown on banned groups.