Pak court to announce verdict on six cases against Hafiz Saeed, others by weekend

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore will announce verdict on six cases against Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed -- and his associates -- by the end of this week, Pakistani media reported.

The ATC had reserved its verdict against the said individuals in two terror financing cases last week. Later on Saturday, the court had delayed announcing its verdict on these two cases and had decided to hear arguments on February 11 (today) on the defendants' application to hear all cases first before announcing the verdict.

However, the court on Tuesday accepted a plea by Saeed seeking the simultaneous hearing and verdict of six cases against the said individuals, Dawn reported.

Deputy Prosecutor General Abdul Rauf Wattoo told Dawn that a total of six cases against the said individuals were pending before the court, on four of which the "presentation of evidence was in progress".

The hearing on all four remaining cases will be concluded simultaneously at the end of the week, which is when the court will issue its verdicts, the deputy prosecutor said.

In July last year, the top 13 members of the JuD, including Saeed, were booked in nearly two dozen cases for terror financing and money laundering under Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997. Subsequently, Saeed was arrested by the Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department on charges of terror financing while he was travelling from Lahore to Gujranwala.

According to the CTD, JuD 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.

In December, last year, Saeed was indicted on charges of terror financing. The indictment came ahead of a meeting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) later this year which will decide whether Pakistan will be blacklisted over its failure to curb terror funding.