Court in Karachi sentences prayer leader to over 25 years in jail for funding Hafiz Saeed-led Jammat-ut-Dawa

An anti-terrorism court in Karachi sentenced a prayer leader of a mosque, Ghulam Rasool Rabbani, to over 25 years in prison for raising funds for banned outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) Tuesday, according to local media reports.

This comes just days after JuD chief and Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed was sentenced to 15 and a half years in jail in a terror financing case.

Rabbani was found guilty of using his mosque located in Jamali Goth along the Superhighway in Malir, Karachi, to raise money to fund terror activities across the country.

The prosecution, which began its investigation on 11 November, alleged that his crimes fell within the country’s Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

The court also ordered the mosque to be forfeited to the Education and Literacy Department of the Government of Sindh, Pakistan. Rabbani was also reportedly fined Rs 2.2 million.

The judge, who had conducted the trial in the judicial complex inside Karachi Central Jail, declared: “I also forfeit the Masjid/Madressah Baab-ul-Harmain Shareefain under the Section 11-Q(4) with directions to Administrator, Education Assets (Madaris and Schools), belonging to proscribed organization, Education & Literacy, Department, Government of Sindh, to takeover and complete forfeiture process in accordance with law.”

In a prior statement, Rabbani confirmed that he owned the mosque and the land in question since 2003. However, he denied the allegations that he used the religious site to fund terror activities.

Rabbani also accused Dr Ubaid-ur-Rehman, a prosecution witness, of wanting to usurp the 1,700-square yards land and said that the latter had earlier threatened to shut down the mosque.

According to a report in Pakistani daily Dawn, state prosecutors Tahir Hussain Mangi and Kamran contended that during investigation the wife of the accused told the investigating officer that the land was the property of her husband.

The prosecutors also alleged that the police had caught Rabbani red-handed while he was collecting funds for the banned outfit.

Source: The Print