Pakistan begins seizure of JuD’s assets, Hafiz Saeed says will move court against govt order ‘to please India’

Even as Pakistan started taking over all the moveable and immovable assets of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed said on Thursday that he would move court against the government order that was issued to “please America and India”. Dawn reported that JuD’s headquarters Muridke Markaz along with its various schools, seminaries and health facilities in Punjab province was taken over. There are reports of similar seizures from Islamabad. “After detaining me for 10 months without any legal ground, the government has now issued a notification regarding taking over our schools, dispensaries, ambulances and other assets. It will hamper our relief operations in Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh, Azad Kashmir and northern areas,” Saeed said. The development comes after Pakistan’s Interior Ministry issued a notification on Wednesday, requiring authorities to immediately seize the assets of Saeed’s JuD and FIF. “The federal government is pleased to direct that requisite actions with regard to freezing and taking over of assets (movable, immovable and human resource) associated with JuD and FIF shall be taken in pursuance of Ordinance No II of 2018,” the notification, dated February 10, stated. The order was issued after Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain signed an ordinance last Friday, aimed at reining in individuals and organisations that have been banned by the United Nations Security Council, and came in the backdrop of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting in Paris on Sunday. Saeed also appealed to his workers not to resort to any violence during the sealing drive. “This is the most difficult time but the workers must remain peaceful. The rulers are acting like more loyal than a king. India never bothered to implement UN resolutions on Kashmir but our rulers have got passed the president ordinance to take action against patriotic organisations like JuD and FIF,” he said. Cash donation boxes from the mosques and other places were confiscated, while FIF’s ambulances were being handed over to the Red Cresent. A report from Islamabad said three dispensaries of FIF had been taken over, according to Dawn. Pakistan has come under intense pressure to rein in terror groups after US President Donald Trump accused the country of harbouring terrorists and suspended nearly $2 billion in security assistance to it. Source; Indian Express