Hafiz Saeed gets VIP treatment in Pakistan, seen roaming in SUV: Sources
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan
is still giving preferential treatment to Mumbai attack mastermind and
Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed despite his sentencing in two
terror-financing cases.
A Lahore anti-terrorism court sentenced Hafiz Saeed to 10-year imprisonment in two terror-financing cases.
According to sources, the Counter-Terrorism Department officials are treating Hafiz Saeed as a VIP. Saeed is still roaming in his SUV escorted by his aides, they said.
He was slapped with a prison sentence of
five-and-a-half years and a fine of Rs 15,000 in each case. The
sentences of both cases will run concurrently. The court also granted
him the benefit of Section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure
(reduction of period of sentence of imprisonment). Malik Zafar Iqbal,
the secretary of Al-Anfaal Trust, has also been convicted in the same
cases and has been awarded similar punishment, the Dawn reported.
They
were convicted under the Anti-Terrorism Act Section 11-F(2) —
pertaining to membership, support and meetings relating to a proscribed
organisation — and 11-N (punishment under Sections 11-H to 11-K).
Section
11H relates to fundraising for the purpose of terrorism, 11-I is about
the use and possession of money or other property for terrorism, 11-J
relates to funding arrangements which result in money being made
available for terrorism, while 11-K relates to money laundering.
The court also ordered that Saeed's properties be confiscated.
The
Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief was arrested on July 17, 2019, at the Kamoke toll
plaza, about 50 km north of Lahore. The US has placed a $10 million
bounty on the UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed. The court has ordered
their properties to be seized.
The counter-terrorism department has registered 41 cases against the JuD leaders.
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