26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist, carries a bounty of $10 million.
India is prepared to allow a Pakistani Court-appointed investigating committee to come to India and question 26 witnesses of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. India has been trying to create pressure on Pakistan to act against terrorist Hafiz Saeed, who is the mastermind of 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
New Delhi has been successful in cornering Pakistan by creating international Pressure on Islamabad to act strict and fast against Hafiz Saeed. It was the result of the contineous efforts of the Indian government that Hafiz Saeed's bank accounts were also seized to comply with UNSC resolution. However, last month, Pakistan restored the bank accounts JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and his four top aides.
Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, Haji M Ashraf, Yahya Mujahid and Zafar Iqbal - all on the UN Security Council's terrorist list – were the other members of the JuD and Lashkar-e-Taiba who got their bank accounts restored, The News reported.
Hafiz Saeed, a 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 high-security Kot Lakhpat jail.
They are currently facing sentences ranging 1 to 5 years in Lahore jail for terror financing cases filed against them by the Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).
"The restoration of bank accounts has taken place following formal approval of the Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council,” the paper said.
Citing sources, the paper said that the JuD leaders had appealed the United Nations for restoring their bank accounts that they could run their family affairs.
"Initially we did not want to file an appeal but we were advised to file it as it was difficult for our leaders to run their affairs," a senior JuD leader was quoted as saying by the paper.
These leaders in their request to the government of Pakistan had also mentioned about their financial income and sources of earning. The same was forwarded to the UNSC along their bank account numbers and other related details, it added.
Saeed-led JuD is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.
The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. He was listed under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.
His bank accounts were frozen by the Pakistani government complying with the UNSC resolution.
