Pakistan books Hafiz Saeed
Pakistani authorities announced a crackdown against Hafiz Saeed, leader of the group blamed for deadly attacks on Mumbai in 2008, amid growing international pressure to act against militant groups.
Pakistan's counter-terrorism department said it had launched 23 cases against Saeed and 12 aides for using five trusts to collect funds and donations for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), blamed by India and the United States for the attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people.
Two banned LeT-linked charities, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), were also targeted, the department said in a statement.
"All the assets of these organizations and individuals will be frozen and taken over by the state," said a counter-terrorism senior official on Wednesday.
The counter-terrorism department said the action was in accordance with UN sanctions against the individuals and entities.
The move follows pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which last year placed Pakistan on its "grey list" of countries with inadequate controls over money laundering and terrorism financing, reported Reuters.
The international watchdog gave Pakistan an October deadline last month to improve its efforts against terrorism financing. The FATF has said Pakistan could end up on the black list when it reviews progress in a meeting later this year.
US, which has pressured Pakistan to crack down on militant groups, has offered a $10 million reward for evidence leading to Saeed's conviction.
India yesterday slammed Pakistan's crack down on Saeed and his close aides, calling it "cosmetic steps" and half-hearted measures undertaken to hoodwink the international community, reported Times of India.
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