Lahore ATC convicts Hafiz Saeed in two terror-financing cases for 5.5 years

[BL33D]

A Lahore anti-terrorism court convicted Jamatud Dawa leader Hafiz Saeed in two terror-financing cases on Wednesday.

He was slapped with a prison sentence of five and a half years and a fine of Rs15,000 in each case. The sentences of both cases will run concurrently.

He was convicted under ATA Section 11-F (2) and 11-N. The court directed authorities to keep Saeed under custody until further orders.

The court had earlier reserved its verdict in the two cases on February 6.

ATC judge Arshad Hussain Bhatta announced the verdict.

The cases were filed by the Counter-Terrorism Department's (CTD) Lahore and Gujranwala chapters. The case filed by CTD's Gujranwala chapter was initially being heard in a Gujranwala ATC but was shifted to Lahore on the directions of the Lahore High Court.

Arrest and trial
The JuD chief was arrested by CTD in July last year, while he was travelling from Lahore to Gujranwala. Prior to his arrest, 23 first information reports had been registered against JuD leaders, including Saeed and JuD Naib Emir Abdul Rehman Makki, at CTD police stations of Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad and Sargodha in July 2019.

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, etc. 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.

Curbing terror financing
In February last year, Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had warned Pakistan to deliver on its commitments to curb terror financing and money laundering.

Risks to the global financial system have virtually put the country’s entire machinery into an aggressive mode to show tangible progress within two months of the warning.

While the meetings were taking place, the government had announced a ban on JuD and Falah-e-Insanyat Foundation (FIF) to partially address the concerns raised by India that Pakistan supported these and six similar organisations, including Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) or at least considered them low-risk entities.

Law enforcement agencies over the next few weeks had intensified their crackdown on JeM, JuD, FIF and other banned outfits, and arrested more than 100 activists. Nearly 200 seminaries besides hundreds of other facilities and assets associated with them across the country were taken over by the government.

Quarterly assessments by the FATF of Pakistan's progress continued over the course of the year.

In the latest FATF review held in October 2019, it was found that while Pakistan has made significant improvements, it will have to take "extra measures" for "complete" elimination of terror financing and money laundering. A reprieve until February has been given until when Pakistan will remain on the task force's "grey list".

In 2012, Pakistan was placed on the grey list and remained on it till 2015. The country was put on the list again on June 29, 2018. Pakistan was given 15 months for implementation of the 27-point action plan, with a warning that in case of failure the country would be added to the blacklist — a list of the countries branded as uncooperative and tax havens for terror funding.

My views - Again a cosmetic move from GoP just before FATF meet and US visit. He has been arrested for a dozen times and people here talk about how upstanding a citizen of Pakistan he is. Pretty sure, he will challenge the verdicts and win after FATF sword is gone or he will "Escape" like Ehsanullah.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1534025/lahore-atc-convicts-hafiz-saeed-in-two-terror-financing-cases

 

[Soumitra]

Good news even though it was done with FATF in mind

 

[313ghazi]

I'm sure Lahore High Court will release him soon enough. There isn't a criminal in the land who doesn't have a friend in LHC.

 

[pak-marine]

FATF ka danda talking

 

[R Wing]

I'm sure Lahore High Court will release him soon enough. There isn't a criminal in the land who doesn't have a friend in LHC.

IF this guy is a criminal

 

[SIPRA]

Very good decision, for the moment, which should essentially be reverted at another opportune time.

 

[Turingsage]

PAKISTAN FINALLY COMPLIES WITH INDIA'S DESIRE TO IMPRISON HAFIZ SAEED. BALAKOT AND THE ANTI_TERROR RAIDS DEEP INTO PAKISTAN TERRITORY ACROSS THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER FINALLY RESULTS IN PAKISTAN'S COMPLIANCE




Actually its 11 years not 5.5. Its 5.5 twice to be served concurrently

ATC sentences Hafiz Saeed to prison for 11 years in two cases

Chief of the outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) Hafiz Saeed and two others were sentenced to prison for five years and six months each in two cases by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Wednesday.

Justice Arshad Hussain Bhutta announced the decision of the verdict, a collective punishment of 11 years and imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 on the JuD chief in both cases.

Saeed has been sentenced for five-and-a-half years in each case and the court has stated that both the sentences will begin concurrently.

Saeed's lawyer told AFP that his client was found guilty of "being part of a banned terrorist outfit" and for "having illegal property".

The cases against the JuD chief were led by Deputy Prosecutor General Abdul Rauf Watto and around 23 witnesses recorded their statements in the cases.

Saeed was arrested by Punjab's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in July last year.

The JuD chief, who has several cases pending against him, was travelling to Gujranwala from Lahore to appear before an anti-terrorism court to seek pre-arrest bail when he was taken into custody.

A CTD official told media Saeed had been presented in an anti-terrorism court and sent to prison. He added that the charge sheet against Saeed will be presented soon. The official further said that a case had been lodged under the anti-terrorism act.

Chief Minister Punjab's spokesperson Shahbaz Gill confirmed Saeed was arrested near Gujranwala.

“The main charge is that he is gathering funds for banned outfits, which is illegal,” the spokesperson told Reuters.

The arrest was part of the Government of Pakistan’s crackdown against outlawed organisations under the National Action Plan.



https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/612914-atc-sentences-jud-chief-hafiz-saeed-for-over-five-years

 

[Big Tank]

Good for nothing. Damaged Kashmir caused since always, ISI wasted so much tax money on him who could do nothing.

 

[Syed1.]

PAKISTAN FINALLY COMPLIES WITH INDIA'S DESIRE TO IMPRISON HAFIZ SAEED. BALAKOT AND THE ANTI_TERROR RAIDS DEEP INTO PAKISTAN TERRITORY ACROSS THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER FINALLY RESULTS IN PAKISTAN'S COMPLIANCE

@waz

 

[LeGenD]

I'm sure Lahore High Court will release him soon enough. There isn't a criminal in the land who doesn't have a friend in LHC.

I think this verdict will not be challenged in LHC because this is linked to FATF.

A Lahore anti-terrorism court convicted Jamatud Dawa leader Hafiz Saeed in two terror-financing cases on Wednesday.

He was slapped with a prison sentence of five and a half years and a fine of Rs15,000 in each case. The sentences of both cases will run concurrently.

He was convicted under ATA Section 11-F (2) and 11-N. The court directed authorities to keep Saeed under custody until further orders.

The court had earlier reserved its verdict in the two cases on February 6.

ATC judge Arshad Hussain Bhatta announced the verdict.

The cases were filed by the Counter-Terrorism Department's (CTD) Lahore and Gujranwala chapters. The case filed by CTD's Gujranwala chapter was initially being heard in a Gujranwala ATC but was shifted to Lahore on the directions of the Lahore High Court.

Arrest and trial
The JuD chief was arrested by CTD in July last year, while he was travelling from Lahore to Gujranwala. Prior to his arrest, 23 first information reports had been registered against JuD leaders, including Saeed and JuD Naib Emir Abdul Rehman Makki, at CTD police stations of Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad and Sargodha in July 2019.

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, etc. 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.

Curbing terror financing
In February last year, Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had warned Pakistan to deliver on its commitments to curb terror financing and money laundering.

Risks to the global financial system have virtually put the country’s entire machinery into an aggressive mode to show tangible progress within two months of the warning.

While the meetings were taking place, the government had announced a ban on JuD and Falah-e-Insanyat Foundation (FIF) to partially address the concerns raised by India that Pakistan supported these and six similar organisations, including Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) or at least considered them low-risk entities.

Law enforcement agencies over the next few weeks had intensified their crackdown on JeM, JuD, FIF and other banned outfits, and arrested more than 100 activists. Nearly 200 seminaries besides hundreds of other facilities and assets associated with them across the country were taken over by the government.

Quarterly assessments by the FATF of Pakistan's progress continued over the course of the year.

In the latest FATF review held in October 2019, it was found that while Pakistan has made significant improvements, it will have to take "extra measures" for "complete" elimination of terror financing and money laundering. A reprieve until February has been given until when Pakistan will remain on the task force's "grey list".

In 2012, Pakistan was placed on the grey list and remained on it till 2015. The country was put on the list again on June 29, 2018. Pakistan was given 15 months for implementation of the 27-point action plan, with a warning that in case of failure the country would be added to the blacklist — a list of the countries branded as uncooperative and tax havens for terror funding.

My views - Again a cosmetic move from GoP just before FATF meet and US visit. He has been arrested for a dozen times and people here talk about how upstanding a citizen of Pakistan he is. Pretty sure, he will challenge the verdicts and win after FATF sword is gone or he will "Escape" like Ehsanullah.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1534025/lahore-atc-convicts-hafiz-saeed-in-two-terror-financing-cases

ATC is serious stuff in Pakistan.

Indians will be rejoicing at this decision that Mr. Hafiz Saeed is finally clipped and will spent much of his life in jail now. Of-course, this isn't to say that he cannot have a few PERKS in the jail.

What a whimper by the way.

IF this guy is a criminal

This is deep, bro.

 

[R Wing]

I think this verdict will not be challenged in LHC because this is linked to FATF.


ATC is serious stuff in Pakistan.

Indians will be rejoicing at this decision that Mr. Hafiz Saeed is finally clipped and will spent much of his life in jail now. Of-course, this isn't to say that he cannot have a few PERKS in the jail.

What a whimper by the way.


This is deep, bro.

1.) Where's the intl proof that he personally ordered and financed the Mumbai attacks? Why isn't it public if it's so damning and obvious?

2.) If he is a terrorist, isn't Modi a terrorist? And about every US President for destroying countries, killing civilians without due process, etc.?

 

[Jackdaws]

Some Pakistanis here claim he is a charity worker. Some here are happy that he is arrested. So what's the real story? You happy or not?

 

[Samlee]

Some Pakistanis here claim he is a charity worker. Some here are happy that he is arrested. So what's the real story? You happy or not?

Nope Am Deeply Angry

 

[khail007]

Hafiz Saeed is fighting against all odds. Against poverty, for Kashmir and now for Pakistan .

 

[Laozi]

2.) If he is a terrorist, isn't Modi a terrorist? And about every US President for destroying countries, killing civilians without due process, etc.?

India might convict Modi if FATF wanted that way.

But there is hardly any conviction of any Indian Head of the state so far.