PAK ARRESTS FOUR AIDES OF 26/11 ATTACKS MASTERMIND

LAHORE:Pakistani authorities on Thursday arrested four aides of Islamist leader Hafiz Saeed, the suspected mastermind of a fourday militant attack on the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008, on terrorism financing charges, counterterrorism police said.

Saeed, arrested on the same charges, has been on judicial remand since July, a move welcomed by U.S. President Donald Trump who wants Pakistan to do more to crack down on militancy.

But Saeed’s arrest came just ahead of a visit to Washington by Prime Minister Imran Khan and was seen by rival India as a ploy to smooth the way before a meeting with Trump.

Thursday’s arrests come ahead of a meeting next week of the Financial Action Task Force, a global watchdog, which will review progress made by Pakistan on controlling terror financing.

Pakistan, included on a so-called grey list compiled by the FATF, has been under increasing pressure to stop the financing of militant groups.

The four aides will appear before a trial court on Friday, police said in a statement.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) told PTI that there had been an “important progress” in the National Action Plan (NAP) as the main leaders of Lashkar-e-Taiba /Jamaat-udDawah have been arrested by the CTD Punjab in offences of terrorism financing.

“JuD/LeT chief Hafiz Saeed is already in prison facing trial for commission of offences of terrorism financing. Now the entire core leadership of the JuD/LeT will be on trial,” the CTD said.