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Sajid Majeed Mir, one among India’s most needed terrorists and the primary handler of the lethal 2008 Mumbai assaults who was earlier declared lifeless by Pakistan, has been jailed for over 15 years in a terror-financing case by an anti-terrorism courtroom within the nation, which is struggling to exit the gray record of the Monetary Motion Activity Drive.
IMAGE: Mumbai terror assault handler Sajid Majeed Mir. {Photograph}: ANI Photograph
The Counter Terrorism Division of the Punjab police, which frequently points convictions of the suspects in such instances to the media, didn’t notify Mir’s conviction.
His sentencing comes as Islamabad prepares for an on-site go to by the officers from the Paris-based international terror financing watchdog FATF to confirm the implementation of Pakistan’s related anti-money laundering and terrorism-financing reforms. A optimistic report might facilitate Pakistan’s exit from the gray record of the FATF.
“An anti-terrorism courtroom in Lahore early this month had handed down over 15 years jail time period to Sajid Majeed Mir, an activist of banned Lashkar-e-Tayiba, on a terror financing case,” a senior lawyer related to terror financing instances of LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa leaders advised PTI on Friday.
The counter terrorism division of the Punjab police, which frequently points conviction of the suspects in such instances to the media, didn’t notify Mir’s conviction in a terror financing case.
Moreover, because it was an in-camera continuing at jail, the media was not allowed.
The lawyer additional mentioned convict Mir, who’s in mid 40s, has been within the Kot Lakhpat jail since his arrest on this April. He mentioned the courtroom additionally imposed a fantastic of over Rs 400,000 to the convict.
Pakistani authorities had prior to now claimed he had died, however Western nations remained unconvinced and demanded proof of his demise.
This problem grew to become a significant sticking level in FATF’s evaluation of Pakistan’s progress on the motion plan late final 12 months.
This was the place issues lastly began transferring in Mir’s case resulting in his ‘arrest’, the Daybreak newspaper reported on Saturday.
His conviction and sentencing had been, due to this fact, main achievements that Pakistani officers showcased of their progress report given to FATF on its motion plan through the newest plenary, the paper commented.
It certainly helped in convincing FATF members that Pakistan had completed all of the required duties, it added.
Mir, 44, is on the FBI’s record of most-wanted terrorists. the US has positioned a bounty of $5 million for his position within the 26/11 Mumbai terror assaults.
Mir is on India’s most-wanted record for his position within the 26/11 Mumbai assaults that left 166 individuals lifeless, together with six People.
Earlier than the final assembly of the FATF, Pakistan reportedly advised the company that it had arrested and prosecuted Sajid Mir in an effort to search its elimination from the worldwide anti-laundering physique’s ‘Gray record’.
Mir was referred to as the “undertaking supervisor” of the Mumbai assaults. Mir reportedly had visited India in 2005 utilizing a faux passport with a faux title.
The FBI says that “Mir is needed for his alleged involvement within the 2008 terrorist assaults in Mumbai, India. Starting on November 26, 2008, and persevering with via November 29, 2008, ten LeT attackers carried out a collection of coordinated assaults in opposition to a number of targets in Mumbai, together with lodges, cafes, and a practice station, killing roughly 170 individuals.”
“Six People had been killed through the three-day assaults. Mir allegedly served because the chief planner of the assaults, directing preparations and reconnaissance, and was one of many Pakistan-based controllers through the assaults. Moreover, Mir allegedly conspired to commit a terrorist assault in opposition to a newspaper and its staff in Denmark between 2008 and 2009,” it mentioned.
“Mir was indicted within the US District Court docket, Northern District of Illinois, Jap Division, Chicago, Illinois, on April 21, 2011, and was charged with conspiracy to injure the property of a international authorities; offering materials assist to terrorists; killing a citizen outdoors of the US and aiding and abetting; and bombing of locations of public use. An arrest warrant was issued on April 22, 2011,” it mentioned.
Mumbai terror assaults’ alleged mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has already been sentenced to 68 years imprisonment in terror financing instances by the Lahore anti-terrorism courtroom.
The sentence is operating concurrently, which suggests he won’t must spend a few years in jail.
Mumbai assault operation commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi can also be sentenced to a number of years in jail. Each Saeed and LeT militant Abdul Rehman Makki are additionally in Kot Lapkhapt jail in Lahore.
Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist on whom the US has positioned a USD 10 million bounty, was arrested in July 2019 within the terror financing instances.
Saeed-led JuD is the entrance organisation for the LeT which is liable for finishing up the 2008 Mumbai assault.
The US division of the treasury has designated Saeed as a Specifically Designated World Terrorist.
The worldwide terror financing watchdog FATF is instrumental in pushing Islamabad to take measures in opposition to terrorists roaming freely in Pakistan and utilizing its territory to hold out assaults in India.
The FATF had positioned Pakistan on the gray record in June 2018 and requested Islamabad to implement a plan of motion to curb cash laundering.
Final week, the FATF mentioned Pakistan will proceed to be on the “Gray Record” of nations below elevated monitoring, an announcement from the worldwide money-laundering and terror-financing watchdog mentioned on June 17.
It mentioned Pakistan could also be faraway from the record after an on-site go to to confirm the implementation of its reforms on countering terror-financing mechanisms.
Pakistan has to date prevented being on the black record with the assistance of its shut allies like China, Turkey and Malaysia.
The FATF is an inter-governmental physique established in 1989 to fight cash laundering, terrorist financing and different associated threats to the integrity of the worldwide monetary system.
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