Pakistan denies unfreezing of Hafiz Saeed's bank accounts

Pakistan said that the bank accounts of the UNdesignated persons have "not been unfrozen", a day after a media report claimed that JuD chief and Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's account has been restored.

"The bank accounts belonging to the UNDesignated Persons have not been unfrozen by Pakistan. The targeted financial sanctions, on the UN-Designated Persons, including freezing of their bank accounts are in place and being strictly monitored, in compliance with the UN sanctions," FO spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said.

The UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee had granted basic expense exemptions to the designated individuals in 2019, in accordance with the exemption provisions of the relevant UNSC resolutions, she said.

"The exemptions were granted to allow these individuals to meet their basic expenses and do not involve any restoration or unfreezing of the bank accounts. These exemptions are being enforced and monitored as per law," said the spokesperson.

It is hoped that due care would be taken in ascertaining facts with relevant government departments before filing such reports in the future, she said. On Sunday, The News reported that

Pakistan has restored the bank accounts of Saeed and his four top aides.

Saeed, an UN-designated terrorist whom the US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on, was arrested on July 17 last year in the terror financing cases. He was sentenced to 11 years in jail by an anti-terrorism court in February this year in two terror financing cases. He is lodged at the Lahore's highsecurity Kot Lakhpat jail.

Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, Haji M Ashraf, Yahya Mujahid and Zafar Iqbal - all on the UN Security Council's terrorists list - were the other members of the JuD and Lashkar-e-Taiba who got their bank accounts restored, the paper said.