Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed barred from delivering Friday sermon in Pakistan

Pakistan has barred Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed from delivering weekly Friday sermon at the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) headquarters in Lahore.

Police have sealed the Jamia Masjid Qadsia and Saeed will not be allowed to enter the premises. (Image: PTI)

Despite being in Lahore, Saeed will not be able to deliver Friday sermon

Action on JuD chief comes in the aftermath of India’s crackdown on Pakistan

Hafeez Saeed is a Specially Designated Global Terrorist

Lahore: Amid intense global pressure to act against the militant group, Pakistan has barred Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed from delivering weekly Friday sermon at the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) headquarters in Lahore in Pakistan’s Punjab province. This will perhaps be for the first time that despite being in Lahore, Saeed will not be able to deliver Friday sermon at the Jamia Masjid Qadsia, the JuD headquarters. This action on JuD chief comes in the aftermath of India’s crackdown on Pakistan post the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu which killed as many as 40 jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), last month. Saeed was never stopped from delivering Friday sermons even during the years when Masjid Qadsia's control was under the Punjab government. Speaking to news agency PTI, a senior official of the Punjab government said that the Police have sealed the Jamia Masjid Qadsia and Saeed will not be allowed to enter the premises to give his weekly sermon on Friday. “Saeed requested the Punjab government to allow him to give the sermon on Friday at Qadsia Masjid but it was turned down. This is significant with regard to the 'clout' of Saeed as for the first time he is not being allowed by the government to give sermon on Friday,” he added. Pakistan authorities on Thursday sealed the Lahore headquarters of JuD and FIF and detained as many as 120 suspected militants as part of an ongoing crackdown on banned groups. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It had been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The US Department of the Treasury has designated its chief Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million rewards for information that brings Saeed to justice.

Published at : 08 Mar 2019 08:43 AM (IST)

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