Mumbai attack mastermind Lakhvi Sentenced 15 years jail in Terror funding case
Shikha Chaurasia
Mumbai, January 8, 2021: Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind of the Mumbai attack and Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Pakistani court in a terror funding case. Recently Lakhvi was arrested on charges of providing funds for terrorist activities. He was arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). Lakhvi was on bail in the Mumbai attack case since 2015, but due to the fear and international pressure of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the Pakistani government finally had to clamp down on him.
Lakhvi has been sentenced to five years in three different crimes of terrorism funding. Besides, a fine of one lakh has also been imposed. Lakhvi was arrested on charges of providing funds for terrorist activities after an operation on the intelligence of the Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department, or CTD Punjab. Lakhvi was also questioned by the CTD officials in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
Lakhvi is said to be the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. He played a role in carrying out the entire terrorist attack. According to the report of the news agency PTI, it was under the leadership of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed that the Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. 166 people were killed in this attack while three hundred people were injured. India has been looking for Lakhvi after the Mumbai terror attack. He is also wanted in a terrorist attack in America.
According to the CTD, Lakhvi is accused of using the funds raised to run a dispensary to fund terrorism. Lakhvi and others collected money raised from this dispensary and used it in Terror funding. The case against Lakhvi went to the Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore.
Lakhvi was declared a global terrorist by the United Nations in 2008 only to be associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba and al-Qaeda and to provide funding, planning and assistance for terrorism, as well as plotting attacks. UN sanctions have provisions such as confiscation of property of declared terrorists and groups and the imposition of travel restrictions. However, later the 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council had allowed Lakhvi to pay a monthly payment of Rs 1.5 lakh for personal expenses.
Taking advantage of this, he was roaming freely in Pakistan and providing funds for terrorists. It is believed that this step has been taken against Lakhvi due to international pressure on the Imran Khan’s government to clamp down on terrorists and in fear of FATF action. Pakistan has been in the grey list of the FATF since 2018 due to terror funding and protection of terrorists.
A FATF meeting is scheduled in February to review the steps taken by Pakistan against terrorism. In this meeting, Pakistan will have to clarify the action against terrorism. Pakistan has been accused of not taking concrete measures to stop the funding of terrorists. This time Pakistan will have to explain what effective steps it has taken. It is believed that the Imran government, which is facing economic turmoil, has taken this step as a show to come out of the grey list.
