Pakistan seizes assets of terror group Jamaat-ud-Dawa
We have implemented the law, says minister
ISLAMABAD: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has confirmed to Arab News that the provincial government has seized all assets belonging to Jamaat-ud-Dawa ( JuD), including seminaries and medical centers.
JuD is widely regarded as a front for the militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba, recognized as a terrorist group by a number of countries.
“JuD is a banned organization and the Punjab government has taken over all its assets,” Sanaullah told Arab News on Thursday.
“We have implemented the law,” he said. “JuD is no longer a legal entity in our province.”
Pakistan had initiated a seizefreeze-and-control operation against JuD and its charity wing, the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), after the Interior Ministry issued a notification against them on Wednesday.
The notification was circulated just two days after President Mamnoon Hussain announced an amended Anti-Terrorism Ordinance, 2018, to include individuals and organizations on the UN Security Council (UNSC) terror list.
Both JuD and FIF are linked to Hafiz Saeed, whom India accuses of masterminding the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai. Saeed has a $10 million bounty on his head.
While Saeed has been put under house arrest several times in the past, his legal team has thus far always managed to clear him due to insufficient evidence.
Pakistan’s decision to seize JuD’s assets comes just ahead of next week’s Paris meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Foreign Ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Faisal expressed concerns on Thursday regarding FATF’s motion to place Pakistan on a watch list.
“Such motions are aimed at hampering the economic growth of Pakistan,” he claimed.
Zahid Hussain, a senior analyst, said Pakistan has no choice but to act against such groups before the FATF convenes its meeting next week.
“Pakistan’s reluctance to take action against Saeed was largely due to its fear that his organization could side with other militant factions,” Zahid said.
JuD spokesperson, Yahya Mujahid, said in a written statement that this is a very difficult time, but urged JuD members to be “peaceful and patient.”
“We have already fought a legal battle against the government’s unconstitutional and illegal decisions, and we will claim our right through Islamic law,” he said.
In December last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a notification to all corporate entities, urging them to stop funding individuals and organizations banned by the UNSC.
The proscribed groups include Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Tehreek-e-Taliban, Lashkar-eTaiba, JuD and FIF.
Staff working for Saeed’s religious and charity organizations will be investigated by a government task force, which will also conduct financial audits to get more information on the funding and expenses of these organizations. Retired army officer and analyst Brig. Harris Nawaz told Arab News that he believes the government will struggle to uncover financial irregularities in the accounts of JuD and FIF.
He also suggested the government had taken on a heavy burden, since Saeed’s religious and charity organizations operate across Pakistan.
“The government will need a good team to take over Muridke Markaz (the organization’s headquarters) and later run its charity wing, which currently employs 50,000 volunteers and salaried staff,” said Nawaz.