New Delhi: India on Thursday presented a measured stand after reports said a court in Pakistan had sentenced 26/11 attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed to six years on terror charges, saying the neighbour must ensure all terrorist leaders and groups operating on its soil face justice.
“We have seen media reports that a court in Pakistan has sentenced UN-designated and internationally proscribed terrorist Hafiz Saeed in terror financing case. It is part of a long-pending international obligation of Pakistan to put an end to support for terrorism,” sources in the government said.
“The decision has been made on the eve of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Plenary meeting, which has to be noted. Hence, the efficacy of this decision remains to be seen,” ANI quoted the sources as saying.
“It has to also be seen whether Pakistan would take action against other all terrorist entities and individuals operating from territories under its control and bring perpetrators of cross border terrorist attacks, including in Mumbai and Pathankot, to justice expeditiously,” they added.
FATF, the international terror financing watchdog, had noted in its meeting held in October 2019 that Pakistan addressed only five out of the 27 tasks given to it in controlling funding to terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, responsible for a series of attacks in India.
The FATF said it strongly urges Pakistan to swiftly complete its full action plan by February, 2020. In the Beijing meeting, Pakistan provided a list of its action taken to comply with the FATF diktat.
Pakistan was placed on the 'Grey List' by the FATF in June, 2018 and was given a plan of action to complete it by October, 2019 or face the risk of being placed on the blacklist along with Iran and North Korea.
This is the first time Saeed has been imprisoned since the 2008 attacks. The firebrand cleric was found guilty of "being part of a banned terrorist outfit" and for "having illegal property", said his lawyer Imran Gill.
According to a report in the Dawn newspaper, Saeed was also given a fine of Rs 15,000 in each of the two cases. The sentences of both the cases will run concurrently.
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