A Lahore anti-terrorism court on Friday sentenced to prison three leaders of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) in a new case of terror financing registered by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).
Malik Zafar Iqbal and Abdul Salam were each handed 16-1/2 year total sentences on four charges, to be served concurrently. Meanwhile, a third man, Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki, got 1-1/2 years on one charge.
The men were associates of Hafiz Saeed. A Pakistani court had sentenced Saeed was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison in February. All the sentences are concurrent so Saeed, Iqbal, and Salam will serve five years.
Saeed founded and led Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). India and the United States blame the group for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 160 people, including Americans and other foreigners.
Saeed and his associates also face a further slew of cases for allegedly financing militant activities. Meanwhile, Iqbal and Makki have already been convicted in several cases.
Saeed says his network, which spans 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house, and ambulance services, has no ties to militant groups.
A 2011 US sanctions designation describes Iqbal as a co-founder of LeT and in charge of its financing activities. Salam is described as the interim leader of the group during the brief periods when Saeed was arrested in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, and running its network of seminaries.
What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments section below!
