Pak prohibits Hafiz Saeed's organisations from collecting donations

Pakistan has banned globally-designated terrorist and the 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation from collecting donations.

The Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) on 1 January ordered to prohibit all companies from donating cash to JuD and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation, as well as several other such organisations named in a list of banned outfits by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

"The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan hereby prohibits all companies from donating cash to the entities and individuals listed under the UNSC sanctions committee's consolidated list," read a notification issued by the commission.

Failing to do so, would attract a hefty monetary fine, the notification further said.

"The Government of Pakistan has already prescribed a penalty of up to Rs10 million for non-compliance on the sanctions regime being implemented," it said.

Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) is the charity wing of banned outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The announcement came on the same day as the United States President Donald Trump blaming Pakistan for providing safe havens to terrorists announced to end the military aid.

President Trump, in a strongly-worded tweet, said America had been 'foolishly' providing military aid to Pakistan for 15 years, but in return, it has only received 'lies and deceit.'

"The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Trump posted on the micro-blogging site, on Monday.

The U.S. President's statement came amid the United Nations-designated terrorist, Hafiz Saeed, looking to contest the 2018 general elections in Pakistan and thereby, forming a party - by the name of Milli Muslim League (MML).

Saeed was recently released from house arrest after a Pakistani court cited lack of evidence against him in the 26/11 Mumbai attack case.

Earlier on 30 December a report emerged that the U.S. was considering withholding a USD 255-million aid to Islamabad due to Pakistan's inability to destroy terror safe havens.

According to a New York Times report, the growing disagreement between the two countries and Pakistan's inability to neutralise the terrorist networks operating from its soil was possibly affecting the decision in providing financial aid to the Islamabad.

The report cited the major disappointment for the US was Pakistan's rejection of its demand of access to one of the abductors involved in the kidnapping of the Canadian-American family.

The US had, earlier, claimed that more than $33 billion in aid had been provided to Pakistan since 2002.

India has also, time and again, protested against Pakistan for harbouring Saeed - wanted for allegedly plotting the Mumbai attacks that took place on 26  November 2008. 

-ANI