United Nations: Mumbai attack mastermind and banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has been allowed by an anti-terror committee of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to withdraw money from his bank account for basic expenses on Pakistan’s request.
Saeed-led JuD is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. Hafiz Saeed was listed under the UNSC Resolution 1267 in December 2008. According to UN provisions, all states are required to freeze the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals. The resolution also provides for states to sanction basic expenses of the designated individuals if there is no-objection over it.
The 1267 Committee, which deals with terror groups like the Islamic State (IS), the Al-Qaeda and associated individuals and organisations, said that it approved Pakistan’s request after no objections were placed before it by the set deadline of August 15, 2019.
“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 Mohammad Saeed, Haji Muhammad Ashraf and Zafar Iqbal, 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),” said a note issued by the committee.
Hafiz Saeed, a UN designated terrorist whom the US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on, was arrested July 17 this year in a terror financing case in Pakistan. He is lodged at the Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail in high security.
PTI