LAHORE, Pakistan: Pakistani authorities announced a crackdown on Wednesday against Hafiz Saeed, leader of the group blamed for deadly attacks on Mumbai in 2008, amid growing international pressure to act against militant groups.
"All the assets of these organizations and individuals will be frozen and taken over by the state," said a counter-terrorism senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. The move follows pressure from the Financial Action Task Force , which last year placed Pakistan on its"grey list" of countries with inadequate controls over money laundering and terrorism financing.The international watchdog gave Pakistan an October deadline last month to improve its efforts against terrorism financing. The FATF has said Pakistan could end up on the black list when it reviews progress in a meeting later this year.
The United States, which has pressured Pakistan to crack down on militant groups, has offered a US$10 million reward for evidence leading to his conviction.