Saeed’s two close aides get 15 years jail

LAHORE, Jan 13:
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has handed down more than 15 years jail term each to two close aides of Mumbai terror attack mastermind and banned Jamat-ud Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, including the outfit’s media face Yahya Mujahid, in a terror financing case.
The anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Tuesday also sentenced Saeed’s brother-in-law Abdul Rehman Makki to six-month in jail.
“Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta awarded 15-and-half-year imprisonment each to Yahya Mujahid and Zafar Iqbal, and six-month term to Prof Abdul Rehman Makki in a case registered by the Counter Terrorism Department of Punjab Police,” a court official told PTI on Wednesday.
Earlier, the court had handed down a 47-year jail term to Mujahid in three terror financing cases.
Similarly, Iqbal was sentenced 26 years imprisonment in three such cases.
Both Mujahid and Iqbal will be kept in jail for about 15 years as their sentences will run concurrently.
The official said the three convicts were present in the court when the judge announced the verdict. Strict security measures were taken during the appearance of the JuD leaders in the court.
Last week, Mumbai attack mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operation commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was sentenced to 5 years in jail in a terror financing case, amidst mounting international pressure on Islamabad to bring to justice terrorists roaming free in the country.
Lakhvi was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment each on three counts with a fine of PKR 100,000 (approximately USD 620) each on three counts. His punishment will run concurrently.
The CTD had registered as many as 41 FIRs against the leaders, including Hafiz Saeed, in different cities.
The anti-terrorism court has sentenced Saeed for a collective imprisonment of 36 years on terror finance charges in five cases so far. (PTI)