An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has indicted the chief of the banned Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), Hafiz Saeed, and other JuD leaders in another terror financing case registered against them by the Counterterrorism Department (CTD), Gujranwala, the media reported.
The JuD leadership is facing more than two dozen cases related to terror financing and money laundering, registered in five cities. All the cases have been clubbed before Lahore anti-terrorism courts due to security concerns, The News reported on Saturday.
Officials presented Hafiz Saeed and others before the ATC judge regarding proceedings of an FIR filed by CTD Gujranwala.
Saeed and others refused to accept charges levelled against them in the FIR. The court then framed charges against JuD leaders and summoned prosecution witnesses on December 21.
On July 3, the top 13 leaders of the JuD were booked in two dozen cases for terror financing and money laundering under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.
The Counterterrorism Department (CTD), which registered the cases in five cities of Punjab, declared that the JD 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. Furthermore, the CTD during detailed investigations found that they had links with the JD and its top leadership, accused of financing terrorism by building huge assets/properties from the collected funds in Pakistan. These non-profit organisations were banned in April.
Later, on July 17, Hafiz Saeed was arrested from Gujranwala on charges of terror financing by the Punjab CTD. He was sent to prison on judicial remand after the CTD presented him before a Gujranwala ATC.
Besides the top JuD leaders, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Ameer Hamza, Mohammad Yahya Aziz, Mohammad Naeem, Mohsin Bilal, Abdul Raqeeb, Ahmad Daud, DMuhammad Ayub, Abdullah Ubaid, Mohammad Ali and Abdul Ghaffar were booked in the cases.
However, the JuD leaders claim that they have been nominated in the cases by wrongly attributing them as leaders of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). As per counsel of the JuD leaders, his clients had quit the LeT before the organisation was banned in 2002.
The counsel argued that the cases against his clients have been made on the basis of a link to defunct Al-Nifal Trust which was formed to construct mosques in the country.
TRIPURA: Restriction imposed on sale of petrol, diesel as landslide hits Assam
As a massive landslide at Jatinga in Assam has hit the goods train movement to Tripura, the Tripura has imposed restrictions on sale of petrol and diesel.
Women perform rituals in Kali temple for rain amid heat wave
Amid the intense heat wave, the BJP MLA Antara Deb Sarkar, accompanied by hundreds of women on Wednesday performed rituals at a Kali temple in Sepahijala's Kamalasagar, seeking divine intervention for rains.
Hours after praising BJP nominee, Kunal Ghosh removed as Trinamool state General Secretary
Hours after Trinamool Congress’ state General Secretary Kunal Ghosh showered praises on Tapas Roy, the BJP candidate from Kolkata Uttar Lok Sabha constituency, the ruling party on Wednesday removed Ghosh from the post.
Salman Khan firing case: Accused gun supplier found hanging in Mumbai police lockup, declared dead
In a sensational development, Anuj Thapan, one of the prime accused in the firing at Salman Khan’s home, allegedly committed suicide in a Mumbai Police lockup on Wednesday, officials said.
Secretary of Tripura's prominent club shot dead, one arrested
Durga Prasanna Deb, Secretary of Bharat Ratna Sangha, a leading club and famous social body of Tripura was attacked by five assailants late Tuesday at Usha Bazar. The accused who has been nabbed was identified as Pradyut Dhar Chowdhury.
GST collections scale record high of Rs 2.1 lakh crore in April
The country's gross GST revenue collection for April this year soared to the highest ever level at Rs 2.10 lakh crore, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Wednesday.
Govt cuts windfall tax on crude oil, ONGC, OIL India Ltd to gain
The Government has cut the windfall tax on crude oil to Rs 8,400 a metric ton from Rs 9,600 with effect from Wednesday as part of its fortnightly revision.
Major jolt to Congress in Delhi, Naseeb Singh & Neeraj Basoya quit party, blame AAP alliance
In a major setback to the Congress party, two of its leaders and observers for two Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, Neeraj Basoya and Naseeb Singh have resigned from the party.