Terror financing trial against Saeed adjourned for fifth time due to lawyers strike

For the fifth time in succession, the anti-terrorism court here on Tuesday could not start the terror-financing trial against the Mumbai terror attack mastermind and chief of the banned JuD Hafiz Saeed due to lawyer's strike. The hearing was again adjourned till Wednesday as Saeed, 69, and three of his top aides -- Hafiz Abdul Salam bin Muhammad, Muhammad Ashraf, and Zafar Iqbal -- who was indicted in terror financing case could not be produced before the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore because of the lawyers strike.

Lawyers across Pakistan are boycotting courts to protest against the registration of cases against their colleagues who were arrested for their alleged involvement in the rampage at Lahore's Punjab Institute of Cardiology. Saeed is detained at the high-security Kot Lakhpat jail here.

Deputy Prosecutor General Punjab Abdur Rauf had told the court that the Saeed, who is also the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and others were involved in terror financing and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab Police has "solid evidence" against them. Saeed-led Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) is believed to be the front organization for the LeT, which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.

The CTD, which arrested Saeed on July 17, has registered 23 FIRs against the 26/11 attack mastermind and his accomplices on charges of "terror financing" in different cities of Punjab province. The cases have been registered in Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan for collection of funds for terrorism financing through assets/properties made and held in the names of Trusts/Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) including Al-Anfaal Trust, Dawatul Irshad Trust, Muaz Bin Jabal Trust.

Saeed's indictment on December 11 came amidst growing international pressure on Pakistan to rein-in militant bodies operating from its soil and bring to justice terror group leaders like him.