Pakistan buckles under global pressure, declares Hafiz Saeed as terrorist
Under immense global pressure, Pakistan has finally declared Hafiz Saeed as a terrorist. However, it was done with much discretion. In a quiet move away from media glare, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain on Monday signed an ordinance that roughly made Saeed a terrorist in the country. The new ordinance is aimed at cracking down on terrorist organisations and its individuals, which have been banned by United Nations Security Council (UNSC), according to sources.
According to the ordinance, it amends a section of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), enabling the authorities to take action against the UNSC-proscribed individuals and terror outfits such as sealing their offices and freezing their bank accounts, the Express Tribune reported.
The sources in the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) confirmed the new move, saying the ministries of Interior, Finance and Foreign Affairs, as well as NACTA’s Counter Financing of Terrorism (CFT) wing were working on the matter.
A spokesperson for President Hussain refused to share further details on the ordinance, saying the defence ministry was the notifying authority.
According to sources, the authorities are bound under international obligations and have sweeping powers to take legal actions against the terrorist organisations under the framework of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which …read more
