March 9, 2019
ISLAMABAD: The chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Mumbai terror attack mastermind,
Hafiz Saeed, was stopped from leading the Friday prayers from Jamia Masjid Qadsia
Mosque in Lahore, the headquarters of the JuD. According to reports, a Government-nominated cleric administered the prayers. The United Nations had earlier listed JuD as
a terror group.
Pakistan's Punjab province Government has taken over the control of the mosque
following the Pakistani Government ban on JuD and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation.
Meanwhile, the UN has rejected Saeed’s appeal to remove his name from its list
of banned terrorists. His lawyer had filed an appeal in 2017 to delist him,
which was opposed by India, US, UK and France. Saeed's request was opposed by
India as well as other countries that had originally listed him - US, UK and
France.
The UN decision to reject the appeal of Saeed, also a LeT co-founder, came
after India had provided evidence about his activities.
Saeed, chief of UN-designated terrorist organisation Jammat-ud-Dawa (JuD),
was banned in 2008 by the UN Security Council after the Mumbai attacks over
150 people died.
Concurrently, UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee has received a new request to ban
Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar after the Pulwama suicide attack in which
40 CRPF personnel were killed. JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack.
The US, the UK and France are moving the UN to ban JeM head Masood Azhar. JeM
was earlier designated as terrorist organisation by the UN.
