Finally! Hafiz Saeed termed terrorist by Pakistan, listed in Anti-Terror act

New Delhi, February 18: Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of Mumbai attack was finally listed in the Fourth Schedule of Pakistan's Anti-Terror Act(ATA). The decision took place two weeks after Saeed was put under house arrest by the Pakistani government on January 30 in Lahore. The Punjab government has listed Saeed and his close aide Qazi Kashif's name under the ATA, Dawn online quoted an official as saying. Abdullah Obaid from Faisalabad, Zafar Iqbal and Abdur Rehman Abid from Muridke were also added to the list. The JuD chief's name has also been put on the exit control list which barred from leaving the country. Saeed had requested govt to remove him from the list alleging he was never involved in terror attacks. According to a senior police official, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) had added their names to the list of the 1,450 'fourth schedulers' after an order by the country's Interior Ministry. They were identified as "active members of the Jamaat-ud Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniyat". The ministry directed the CTD to "move and take necessary action" against the five. The Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 empowers the government to mark a person as "proscribed", and place that person on the fourth schedule on an ex-parte basis. Listing of Saeed in the fourth schedule shows he is involved in terror activities. Those listed under Anti-Terrorism Act face a barrage of legal consequences like travel bans and scrutiny of assets etc. Besides, any violation of the provision of the Fourth Schedule may result in imprisonment of up to three years and fine or both. Hafiz Saeed, the prime accused of the 2008 Mumbai attacks which left over 160 persons dead is under UN sanctions and carries a bounty of $10 million on his head.