Lahore Court Convicts Hafiz Saeed in 2 Terror-financing Cases

LAHORE:
A Lahore anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday convicted Mumbai blast mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader Hafiz Saeed in two terror-financing cases.

Saeed has been 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 [fund raising] to 11-K [money laundering]), reported Dawn.

ATC judge Arshad Hussain Bhatta announced the verdict. He has been sentenced to prison for five and a half years and a fine of Rs 15,000 in each case. The sentences in both the 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).

The court directed the authorities to keep Saeed in custody until further orders. The cases were filed by the Counter-Terrorism Department”s (CTD) Lahore and Gujranwala chapters. The case filed by the 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.