Pak Court To Indict 26/11 Attack Mastermind Hafiz Saeed On December 7

Mumbai terror attack mastermind and chief of the banned JuD Hafiz Saeed will be prosecuted for terror financing charges by an anti-terrorism court in Lahore next month, an official said on Saturday.

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore held a hearing against Saeed and his accomplices on terror financing on Saturday and fixed December 7 as the date for indictment of the Jamat-ud Dawa (JuD) chief and others in the case.

"ATC judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta fixed December 7 for indictment of Saeed and others after hearing the arguments of prosecution and defence lawyers," a court official told PTI after the hearing.

He said prosecutor Abdur Rauf Bhatti requested the court to hold day to day hearing to conclude the trial at the earliest, which was opposed by Saeed's counsel.

"The judge said he has to conclude the trial on evidence and merit," the official said, adding that the court adjourned the proceedings till December 7.

Saeed was brought to the court amid tight security from Kot Lakhpat jail. Journalists were not allowed to enter the court to cover the proceedings.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Punjab Police had registered 23 FIRs against Saeed and his accomplices on charges of "terror financing" in different cities of the Punjab province and arrested the JuD chief on July 17.

Under pressure from the international community, the Pakistani authorities have launched investigations into matters of the terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), JuD and its charity wing the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) for their holding and use of trusts to raise funds for terrorism financing.

According to the CTD, the investigation was launched into financing matters in connection with implementation of the UN sanctions against the terror groups as directed by the NSC (National Security Committee) in its January 1 meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

"These suspects made assets from terrorism financing funds. They held and used these assets to raise more funds for more terror financing. Hence, they committed multiple offences of terrorism financing & money laundering under Anti Terrorism Act 1997. They will be prosecuted in ATCs (Anti Terrorism Courts) for commission of these offences," the CTD said.

The US Department of the Treasury has named Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered $10 million reward for information that brings him to justice.