AUTHORITIES IN PAKISTAN SEIZE SOME ASSETS OF SAEED’S JUD, FIF

ISLAMABAD:PAKISTANI authorities have begun taking over some of the assets and facilities of the Jamaat-ud-dawah and Falah-einsaniyat Foundation, both linked to alleged Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, as the government scrambles to avert being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force.

The US, UK, Germany and France have jointly submitted a motion to put Pakistan on the FATF’S “grey list”, which includes countries with inadequate provisions to combat terror financing and money laundering. The FATF plenary meeting to be held in Paris during February 18-23 will review Pakistan’s actions to choke funding for terrorists. Pakistan quietly amended its Anti-terrorism Act through an ordinance to proscribe terrorist individuals and groups that have been listed by the UN Security Council such as Lashkar-e-taiba founder Saeed and the JUD and FIF.

A notification issued in the Gazette of Pakistan on February 10 said the federal government had directed that “requisite actions” should be taken for “freezing and taking over of assets (moveable, immoveable and human resource) associated with JUD and FIF” following the amendment of the law.

Rana Sanullah, the law minister of Punjab province, confirmed that the two groups linked to Saeed had been officially banned. “We have received the interior ministry’s directions,” he said.