Pakistan restores bank accounts of Hafiz Saeed, his four top aides: Report

Islamabad - Move follows formal approval of Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council

Pakistan has restored the bank accounts of the outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed and his four top aides, a media report said on Sunday.
Saeed, a UN designated terrorist on whom the US has placed a $10 million bounty, was arrested on July 17 last year in terror financing cases.
He was sentenced to 11 years in jail by an anti-terrorism court in February this year. He is lodged at the Lahore's high-security Kot Lakhpat jail.
Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, Haji M. Ashraf, Yahya Mujahid and Zafar Iqbal - all on the UN Security Council's terrorists list - were the other members of the JuD and Lashkar-e-Taiba who got their bank accounts restored, The News reported.
They are currently facing sentences ranging 1 to 5 years in Lahore jail in terror financing cases filed against them by the Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the paper said.
"The restoration of bank accounts has taken place after formal approval of the Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council," the paper said.
Citing sources, the paper said the JuD leaders had appealed to the United Nations for restoring their bank accounts so 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 with their bank account numbers and other related details, it added.
 

• Pakistan