Following Trump’s admonition, Pakistan suspends aid to terror groups including Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar

In what is being viewed as a panic reaction to US President Donald Trump’s New Year tweet, Pakistan government on Saturday said those providing funds to the banned groups, including the ‘charities’ run by Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, will face up to 10 years in prison along with a hefty fine and their properties can also be confiscated.

Pakistani newspapers on Saturday carried advertisements listing 72 groups, including Jamat-ud-Dawa, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Jaish-e-Muhammed banning aid to them.

It said that according to Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 of Pakistan and under UN Security Council Act of 1948 it was a crime to provide funding to those groups which have been banned or are on the watchlist.

Those giving funds to such individuals or groups may face "five to 10 years in jail or up to Rs 10 million fine or both", it said.

Their movable or immovable property can also be confiscated. 

Pakistan has banned Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) from collecting donations after President Trump accused Islamabad of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists. 

The advertisement reminds the people that they should make sure that their money given as charity does not end up in wrong hands.

The US, at the direction of President Trump had on Saturday suspended about USD 2 billion in security aid to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their safe havens.

Trump is reportedly annoyed at Pakistan's inaction on terror groups. 

The US had said that the assistance would be resumed only after Pakistan took "decisive action" against terror groups it had long nurtured and harboured. 

Earlier on January 1, President Trump had tweeted, "The US has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid... and they have given us nothing but lies and deceit... No more!"

(With Agency inputs)