26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed sentenced to 10 years in jail

Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Court has sentenced Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JUD) kingpin and most wanted terrorist Hafiz Saeed to 10 years. According to Pak media, Hafiz has been sentenced in connection with two cases related to terrorism and terrorism-funding. Apart from Hafiz, 4 more people of the Jamaat, Zafar Iqbal, Yahya Mujahid, and Abdul Rahman Makki have also been sentenced. However, Makki has been sentenced to just six months by the court. Along with this, orders have also been given to confiscate the property of Hafiz Saeed.

Terrorist Hafiz Saeed is already in jail and was sentenced to 10 years in February this year by the Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore. At that time, Hafiz Saeed has been sentenced to 11 years in two Terror Financing Cases. Presently, he is lodged in the High Security Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. News agency PTI was quoted by a court official as saying that the Lahore-based anti-terrorism court sentenced four JUD leaders, including Hafiz Saeed. He is punished in two more cases.

Judge Arshad Hussain Boota sentenced Hafiz Saeed. Pak counter terrorism department has now registered 41 cases against some other JUD leaders including Hafiz. A decision has been reached on 24 of these, while some are still pending in court. Saeed is the founder of Lakashr-e-Taiba and carried out the terrorist attacks in Mumbai on 26 November 2008 on behalf of this organization. 166 people were killed in those attacks, including six Americans. The US Department of Finance has given Hafiz a terrorist status. In December 2008, under the 1267 resolution of the United Nations Security Council, it was declared the most wanted terrorist.