He said describing Hafiz Saeed and other leaders of the
JuD as leaders of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) was factually and legally incorrect.
On July 3, top 13 leaders of the banned
JuD, including Saeed and Naib Emir Abdul Rehman Makki, were booked in nearly two dozen cases of terror financing and money laundering under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
Iqbal added that the
JuD was not involved in terrorist activities but only working for public welfare similar to the operations of the Edhi Foundation.
The arrest of the
JuD chief is part of the Government of Pakistan's crackdown against outlawed organisations under the National Action Plan.
Lahore: Outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (
JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed was arrested by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Wednesday, Geo TV reported.
The cases were registered in five cities of Punjab, and CTD alleged that
JuD was financing terrorism from the massive funds collected through non-profit organisations and trusts, including Al-Anfaal Trust, Dawatul Irshad Trust, Muaz Bin Jabal Trust, etc.
The CTD said a large-scale investigation had been launched into the finances of banned organizations
JuD, LeT and FIF in connection with the implementation of UN sanctions against these designated entities and persons under the directives of the National Security Committee in its meeting on January 1 this year chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan for implementing the National Action Plan.
Makki is the head of
JuD's political and foreign relations departments and is widely seen as the proscribed outfit's second-in-command.
Saeed has always maintained the
JuD and FIF are just charities, and not fronts for militant activity.
(16.) Alaska
Jud. Council, Minutes, 1-2 (June 29-30, 1959).
JuD's network includes 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance services.
Based upon available information about the MML, its ties to the
JuD and its mentorship by Pakistan's security organizations, I reject the claim that the MML's formation signals a new effort on the part of the Pakistani state to redirect
JuD's external militarism towards a new domesticated political role, and thus serves as a state-directed "de-radicalization" or "demobilization" effort to mainstream Islamist militants.