LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Monday convicted three leaders of banned Jamatud Dawa (JuD) in two more cases of terror financing registered by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).

ATC-II Presiding Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta announced the guilty verdict in the FIRs No 23 and 41 lodged during 2019 in Lahore and Sargodha, respectively.

The judge handed down 14-year imprisonment each to Zafar Iqbal and Yahya Mujahid, while six-month sentences to Abdul Rehman Makki in each case.

Several leaders of the JuD, including its chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, have been convicted in many FIRs registered by the CTD on charges of terror financing, while trial proceedings in others are still pending.

The CTD had registered as many as 41 FIRs against the JuD leaders in different cities. The trial courts have so far decided 36 of the cases.

In a recent verdict, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi of defunct Lashkar-i-Taiba has been convicted with five-year imprisonment on three counts in a case of terror financing.

PARAGON CITY: The defence on Monday cross-examined two prosecution witnesses in Paragon City reference against former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq and his brother former provincial minister Khwaja Salman Rafiq.

Presiding Judge Jawadul Hassan directed the witnesses, including tehsildar Aslam Gujjar and Muhammad Saleem, a manager of Imperial Garden Housing Scheme, to submit attested documents relating to the land of the Paragon City housing colony.

The hearing was adjourned till Jan 29.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2021