 "US welcomes Saeed conviction, says key for Pak in meeting FATF commitments")
The US has welcomed the conviction of the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and described it as an "important step forward" for Pakistan in meeting its international commitments to combat terror financing and not to allow non-state actors to operate from its soil.
The statement of a top state department official came after Saeed, a UN designated terrorist whom the US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on, was sentenced to 11 years in two terror financing cases on Wednesday, four days ahead of a crucial meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in Paris where Pakistan will present its case to escape from being blacklisted.
According to Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice G Wells, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said it is in the interest of his country's future that it does not allow non-state actors to operate from its soil.
She said in a tweet: "Today's conviction of Hafiz Saeed and his associate is an important step forward both towards holding LeT accountable for its crimes, and for Pakistan in meeting its international commitments to combat terrorist financing".
Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief, was arrested on July 17 in the terror financing cases. The 70-year-old fiery cleric is lodged at the high-security Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.
Anti-terrorism court Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta sentenced Saeed and his close aide Zafar Iqbal to five and a half years each and imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 in each case.
More From This Section
The crackdown on Saeed's outfit last year followed a warning by the international terror financing watchdog to Pakistan to deliver on its commitments to curb terror financing and money laundering.
The verdict comes four days ahead of the crucial meeting of the FATF from February 16 to 21 in Paris where Pakistan will present its case to get itself off the Grey List.
The FATF in October last decided to keep Pakistan on its 'Grey List' for its failure to curb funnelling of funds to terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
If not removed off the list by April, Pakistan may move to a blacklist of countries that face severe economic sanctions, such as Iran.
Reacting to Saeed's sentencing, Indian government sources said it is part of a long-pending international obligation of Pakistan to put an end to support for terrorism and that efficacy of Saeed's sentencing remained to be seen.
"The decision has been made on the eve of FATF Plenary meeting, which has to be noted. Hence, the efficacy of this decision remains to be seen," an official source said in New Delhi, elaborating on the government's assessment of the action against Saeed.
The sources said it's also to be seen whether Pakistan would take action against all other terrorist entities and individuals operating from territories under its control.
India has been pressing Pakistan to take action against all those involved in cross-border terror attacks including the Mumbai carnage.
Saeed-led JuD is the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.
The US named Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice in the Mumbai attack incident. He was listed as a terrorist under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.