WASHINGTON: The United States has appreciated Pakistan over imprisoning Hafiz Saeed, chief of the proscribed Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), for eleven years in two terror-financing cases.
The top US diplomat for South Asian affairs Alice Wells hailed the conviction of Hafiz Saeed and his aide Malik Zafar Iqbal as a “step forward” for Pakistan.
A day earlier, an anti-terrorism court convicted the two JuD leaders to five-and-a-half-years of rigorous imprisonment in two cases relating to terror financing.
The verdict came days ahead of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) meeting in Paris to decide Pakistan’s grey list fate later this week on 16th February.
Wells said that the conviction was a step forward, “both toward holding the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) accountable for its crimes and for Pakistan in meeting its international commitments to combat terrorist financing”.
“Today’s conviction of Hafiz Saeed and his associate is an important step forward – both toward holding LeT accountable for its crimes, and for #Pakistan in meeting its international commitments to combat terrorist financing,” said a statement by the US State Department.
Today’s conviction of Hafiz Saeed and his associate is an important step forward – both toward holding LeT accountable for its crimes, and for #Pakistan in meeting its international commitments to combat terrorist financing.
— State_SCA (@State_SCA) February 12, 2020
The United States also designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2012 and offered a USD 10 million rewards for information that brings Saeed to justice.
He was arrested last year in the same case from Gujrat. He is also accused by India of the Mumbai 2008 attack that killed more than 160 people.
Read more: ATC delays judgement against Hafiz Saeed in two cases
The FATF last year decided to keep Pakistan on its grey list till February> It gave the country a time to implement the FATF’s 27-point action plan.
Pakistan was placed on its grey list in June 2018 because of failure of comply with Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Terrorist Financing regulations.
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