Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Pakistan seeks to boost image by jailing Hafiz Saeed

A Lahore anti-terrorism court has jailed the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, Hafiz Saeed, for 11 years in Pakistan on terror charges, his lawyer said Wednesday (12). The is the first time he has been imprisoned since the 2008 assault. His lawyer said he would appeal.

The ruling came days ahead of a meeting of a world financial watchdog, Financial Action Task Force, next week to decide whether to blacklist Pakistan on failure to curb terrorism financing.


"The total punishment in both the cases was 11 years but he will serve five and a half years in jail as the two punishments will run concurrently," Saeed's lawyer Imran Gill told Reuters.

Saeed was charged in Pakistan in December with collecting funds for his banned organisations, which the UN and the US have designated as terrorist groups. He pleaded not guilty.

"Hafiz Saeed and another of his close aides have been sentenced in two cases of terrorism financing," prosecutor Abdul Rauf Watto

Saeed is the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), or the Army of the Pure, a group blamed by India and the United States for the four-day Mumbai siege.

The 2008 Mumbai attacks (also referred to as 26/11) were a series of terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai, India's financial capital. The attacks began on November 26 and lasted until November 29, 2008. At least 174 people died, including 9 attackers, and more than 300 were wounded.

Saeed has denied any involvement in the Mumbai attacks and says his network, which spans 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance services, has no ties to militant groups.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a $10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice. He was listed under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.

More For You

Exclusive: 'Starmer must fill NHS staffing defecit'
Dr Chaand Nagpaul

Exclusive: 'Starmer must fill NHS staffing defecit'

LABOUR's latest announcement to cut NHS waiting lists, while welcome, does not go far enough, the former leader of the doctors’ union, Chaand Nagpaul has told Eastern Eye.

Prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, unveiled his plans on Monday (6). He pledged Labour would set up more NHS hubs in community locations in England, and the service would make greater use of the private sector to help meet the challenge.

Keep ReadingShow less
Exclusive: 'Stop spreading racial hatred'
Nazir Afzal

Exclusive: 'Stop spreading racial hatred'

POLITICIANS must dial down “dangerous and inflammatory” rhetoric and recognise the contributions of all communities in Britain, prominent south Asians have told Eastern Eye.

They are concerned that recent social media attacks on asylum seekers, immigrants, especially British Pakistanis, as well as ministers will lead to unnecessary deaths.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lisa-Nandy-Getty

The culture secretary retains powers to refer the case to the Competition and Markets Authority, which could trigger an investigation into press freedom concerns linked to Abu Dhabi’s involvement. (Photo: Getty Images)

Calls grow for Lisa Nandy to end Telegraph ownership stalemate

THE SALE of The Telegraph newspaper has drawn widespread political calls for culture secretary Lisa Nandy to intervene and end the prolonged uncertainty surrounding its ownership.

The newspaper has been in limbo for 20 months after an auction process initiated by RedBird IMI, an Abu Dhabi-backed investment fund, failed to secure a suitable buyer.

Keep ReadingShow less
illegal-migrants-getty

According to government data, over 36,800 people crossed the Channel in 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Labour government reports highest illegal migrant removals since 2018

THE LABOUR government announced on Thursday that it had removed 16,400 illegal migrants since taking office in July, the fastest rate of removals since 2018.

On taking office, prime minister Keir Starmer scrapped the previous Conservative government's scheme to send migrants who arrive illegally to Rwanda, instead setting up a Border Security Command to crack down on illegal migration – a huge political issue in Britain.

Keep ReadingShow less
Two men jailed for trying to smuggle migrants into UK

Shafaz Khan (L), Choudhry Rashied (Photo: Home Office)

Two men jailed for trying to smuggle migrants into UK

TWO London-based men have been sentenced to over 10 years behind bars after being convicted of breaching UK immigration law by trying to smuggle four Indian migrants in a hidden van compartment disguised by a stack of dirty tyres.

According to the UK Home Office, British nationals Shafaz Khan and Choudhry Rashied, who operated under the alias ‘Manzar Mian Attique’, hid the group of migrants behind the tyres in a “purpose built” hidden space in the vehicle.

Keep ReadingShow less