Lahore: On Thursday, intensifying the ongoing crackdown on terrorist outfits, Pakistan authorities barred Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed from delivering weekly Friday sermon at JuD headquarters in Lahore. This development comes after the authorities sealed the Lahore headquarters of Jamaat- ud -Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF). For the first time in years, Saeed will not be able to deliver Friday sermon at Jamia Masjid Qadsia which was attended by thousands of his followers.
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A senior official of the Punjab government told "As the Punjab police have sealed the Jamia Masjid Qadsia, Saeed will not be allowed to enter the premises to give his weekly sermon on Friday,". Even when the mosque was under the control of Punjab government, Saeed was never stopped from delivering Friday sermon. As per the media reports, Saeed sought permission from the Punjab government for giving a sermon but his request was denied. A senior government official told PTI that this denial is significant given the fact that Saeed’s clout is well-known in the power circles of Islamabad.
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However, Law enforcement agencies have already arrested more than 100 activists and have taken control of over 200 seminaries apart from hundreds of other facilities and assets connected with banned terror outfits all over the country. The JuD is the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack in which 166 people were killed. The US Department of the Treasury has already designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and there is a bounty of USD 10 million for a reward for information on him since 2012.