Pak cries foul over Indian media raising issue of UNSC allowing Hafiz Saeed to access bank accounts

Pakistan on Thursday cried foul over a certain section of the Indian media "unnecessarily politicising" the issue in which the UN Security Council (UNSC) had approved a request by Islamabad to allow global terrorist Hafiz Saeed to access his bank accounts for 'basic expenses' to help his family, and claimed it was "casting negative aspersions on the country's efforts to implement its obligations under the UN sanctions regimes".

In response to media queries, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said in a statement, "Such an exemption was in line with the established procedures and practices of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee. Hafiz Saeed and others had submitted an exemption request for basic expenditure to the United Nations Security Council. The request was later approved by the Council as a matter of routine."

"The spokesperson expressed disappointment that a certain section of the Indian media was unnecessarily politicising this issue to cast negative aspersions on Pakistan's efforts to implement its obligations under the UN sanctions regimes," the statement said.

In a letter dated August 15, the UN Sanctions Committee said it had received a letter from Pakistan seeking permission to allow Saeed "certain expenditure" from his frozen bank account. The Chair said that the request was approved after "no objection" had been received from any member.

"The chair has the honour to refer to his draft letter to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan communicating the committee's decision with respect to the intention of the Pakistani authorities to authorise certain expenditures to the benefit of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed (QDi.236), Haji Muhammad Ashraf (QDI.265) and Zafar Iqbal (QDI.308) to cover basic expenses, as specified in the note verbale of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan pursuant to paragraph 81 (a) of resolution 2368 (2017)," the letter read.

"The chair wishes to inform the members that no objections were placed by the set dateline of 15 August 2019 at 3:00 p.m. for the consideration of the draft letter. Consequently, the letter is approved, and the chair will instruct the Secretariat to dispatch it," it added.

Pakistan, which has time and again proven to be a safe haven for global terrorists, has based its request by outlining the monthly expenses requirement of Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Saeed, who it claims, has to support a family of four.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi evaded a question on proscribed terrorist Hafiz Saeed.

The senior diplomat dogged the question at the time he was speaking to media after concluding his speech at SAARC Foreign Ministers' meet, which was held on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly session here.

Being a proscribed terrorist, Saeed is subjected to comprehensive economic and trade sanctions such as arms embargoes, travel bans, and financial or commodity restrictions.

Saeed, who has been designated as global terrorists by the United States, the United Nations, and the European Union, was the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that claimed 166 lives.