JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and 12 of his close aides have beenbooked by Pakistani agencies for committing multiple offences of “terrorism”financing and money laundering through the massive funds collected throughcharities, as Islamabad faced intense international pressure to disrupt groupsand curb funding.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab Police ofPakistan has said that it has registered 23 FIRs under terrorism chargesagainst 13 leaders of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) in connection with “terrorfinancing” after they detected “irrefutable evidence” againstthem.
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 for terrorism financing through assets/propertiesmade and held in the names of Trusts/ Non Profit Organisations (NPO) includingAl-Anfaal Trust, Dawat ul Irshad Trust, Muaz Bin Jabal Trust, etc, the CTDsaid.
It said a large scale investigation launched into financingmatters of JuD & Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in connection with implementation ofUN Sanctions against these Designated Entities & Persons as directed by theNSC (National Security Committee) in its meeting on January 1, 2019 chaired bythe Prime Minister Imran Khan for implementing National Action Plan.
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 Sh, Mohsin Bilal, Abdul Raqeeb,Ahmad Daud, Muhammad Ayub, Abdullah Ubaid, Muhammad Ali and Abdul Ghaffar andothers.
The CTD said investigations have been launched into mattersof JuD, LeT and FIF regarding their holding and use of trusts to raise fundsfor terrorism financing.
“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 these offences.”
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.
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.