Chief of banned organization Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has been arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Punjab. The action was taken when he was traveling between Lahore and Gujranwala. He has been sent on judicial remand and the department has been asked to Terrorist Court (ATC) he was shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail.
The move was initiated after the CTD had registered multiple cases on various members of the so-called non-profit organization for terror financing. The case nominations included the chief Saeed, Naib Emir Abdul Rehman Makki, and 11 others. The banned Jud was believed to be operating activities by collecting funds from Dawatul Irshad Trust, Moaz Bin Jabal Trust, Al Anfaal Trust, Al Madina Foundation Trust and Alhamd Trust to finance terrorism. The confiscated funds would be frozen and taken over by the state.
The action against banned outfits is in line with the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), to exit the ‘grey list’. Pakistan has been making forceful strides regarding administrative and observing instrument to meet the FATF prerequisites and its legitimate framework is commonly sufficient, aside from certain corrections to the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) 2010 pending before the National Assembly’s standing board of trustees on fund and income. The efforts were also recognized by the Joint Group of the force and despite the Indian propaganda, and Pakistani also avoided the ‘blacklist’ of FATF by securing 3 votes on the favor.
The action was also appreciated by US President Donald Trump just after hours. He tweeted, “After a ten-year search, the so-called “mastermind” of the Mumbai terror attacks has been arrested in Pakistan. Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years to find him!”.
Hafiz Saeed was blamed to be the mastermind behind the brutal attacks on Mumbai, India back in 2008 which took 166 lives. Saeed has a bounty of 10 million USD on his head.