ISLAMABAD: Two charities linked to a radical cleric wanted by the US are no longer on Pakistan’s list of banned groups because a presidential order banning them under a UN resolution has lapsed.
The presidential ordinance regarding Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, founded by cleric Hafiz Saeed, lapsed without parliament’s approval.
The issue came up in the Islamabad High Court, where Saeed challenged the ordinance banning the two entities. Presidential orders must be extended or passed as an act of parliament.
Saeed founded the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which was blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniat are alleged fronts for Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The United States has offered a $10 million reward for Saeed’s arrest.
Saeed denies involvement in the Mumbai attacks.
Pakistan released Saeed in November after 11 months of house arrest.
Charities run by radical cleric no longer banned by Pakistan
Charities run by radical cleric no longer banned by Pakistan
- Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation are alleged fronts for Lashkar-e-Taiba, a group blamed for 2008 Mumbai attacks
UK court jails Christian camp leader for drugging, sexually abusing boys
- Ruben admitted offenses relating to ill-treatment of children and sexual abuse — as well as to drugging his wife, who was volunteering at the camp, in order to avoid detection
LONDON: A court in England on Friday jailed a man for more than 31 years for drugging and sexually abusing young boys at a Christian summer camp he led last summer.
Police say they are now talking to other groups he worked with in the past as part of an ongoing investigation.
Former vet Jon Ruben, 76, was leading the camp last July, said a statement from prosecutors released after Friday’s judgment.
He laced sweets with sedatives and tricked children at the camp into eating them by encouraging them to take part in a game.
“Later on, while the boys were heavily asleep, he went into their dormitory and chose individual boys to sexually abuse them,” said prosecutors.
Volunteers at the camp in Leicestershire, central England, raised the alarm after finding the children still nauseous, drowsy and disoriented the next day.
Eight boys aged between eight and 11 were taken to hospital and Ruben was arrested.
Investigators found syringes and sedatives at the camp location.
On his devices they found indecent images of children as well as evidence he had procured tranquilizer drugs and tried to join an online paedophile network.
Ruben admitted offenses relating to ill-treatment of children and sexual abuse — as well as to drugging his wife, who was volunteering at the camp, in order to avoid detection.
A court in Leicester sentenced him on Friday to a total of 31 years and 10 months behind bars under special provisions for defendants designated by prosecutors as particularly dangerous.
Leicestershire police said the investigation into Ruben was still “very much ongoing.”
Officers are contacting schools and youth organizations in central England with whom Ruben was involved with over the past two decades.
