3 aides of Hafiz Saeed jailed for over 16 years

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Friday sentenced three senior leaders of Jamaatud-dawah (JUD) and close aides of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed to over 16 years in prison for terror financing.

Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki and Hafiz Abdus Salam, who were released on bail two weeks ago after the Lahore High Court suspended their sentence in a terror financing case, are among those sentenced by the Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore in another terror financing case.

“The ATC sentenced Zafar Iqbal and Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad for 16 and a half years in another terror financing case. A fine of Rs 150,000 on each of them was also imposed,” a court official said.

“Hafiz Saeed’s brother-in-law Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki has also been handed down the oneand-a-half-year sentence in the same case. A fine of Rs 20,000 was also imposed on him,” the official said. The three JUD leaders have been found guilty of offence of terrorism financing.

In February, Saeed was sentenced to a jail term of 11 years on terror finance charges by an ATC of Lahore.

YOUTUBE TOLD TO SCRUB OBJECTIONABLE VIDEOS

Pakistani regulators have asked Youtube to immediately block all videos they consider “objectionable” from being accessed in the country, a demand criticised by rights campaigners.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said it has asked Youtube to “immediately block vulgar, indecent, immoral, nude and hate speech content for viewing in Pakistan”. There are fears about creeping censorship and muzzling of the press and activists in Pakistan, with existing or proposed restrictions limiting free speech, usually in the name of Islam or national security.