LAHORE: The Counter Terrorism Department, Pun­jab, has arrested a key leader of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) organisation, Zakiur Reh­man Lakhvi, for his alleged involvement in a terrorism financing case registered against him at the CTD’s Lahore police station.

The FIR was registered against Lakhvi on charges of terrorism financing on Dec 7.

Lakhvi has been declared a terrorist by the United Nations, a CTD spokesperson said, adding the arrest was made at Ring Road Lahore in an intelligence-based operation conducted by a special team of the CTD on Saturday.

The spokesperson said that Lakhvi was said to have been running a medical dispensary to collect and disburse funds for terrorism financing.

Lakhvi also used these funds for personal expenses.

The trial will be held before an anti-terrorism court in Lahore, the spokesperson said.

Imran Gill, Lakhvi’s lawyer, confirmed the arrest and said his case would be heard next week. He did not respond to further questions.

Lakhvi is accused of being a leader of an Islamist militant group blamed by the United States and India for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the CTD official said.

The arrest is in relation to terrorism financing, the official said, and not a specific militant attack.

A UN Security Council sanctions committee says Lakhvi is LeT’s chief of operations and accuses him of being involved in militant activities in a number of other regions and countries, including Chechnya, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2021