LAHORE: A court in Pakistan on Wednesday remanded to custody Hafiz Saeed, accused of masterminding a four-day attack on India’s financial capital in 2008, after a hearing following his arrest last week on terrorism financing charges, his lawyer said.
Saeed’s arrest came just ahead of a visit to Washington by Prime Minister Imran Khan and was widely seen as a move by the Islamabad government to smoothe the way before a meeting with US President Donald Trump.
The United States has offered a reward of $10 million for information leading to the conviction of Saeed, who has been arrested and released several times over the past decade.
On Wednesday, an anti-terrorism court in Gujranwala, near the eastern city of Lahore, remanded Saeed to custody for 14 days while counter-terrorism officials complete investigations, the lawyer, Imran Fazal, said.
US officials have long pressured Pakistan to try Saeed, who is designated a terrorist by the United States and the United Nations.
He is the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), or the Army of the Pure, a militant group blamed by the United States and India for the attacks that killed more than 160 people.
He has denied any involvement and said his network, which spans 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance services, has no ties to militant groups.
Pakistan remands alleged mastermind of Mumbai attacks for 14 days
Pakistan remands alleged mastermind of Mumbai attacks for 14 days
- US had placed a $10 million bounty on information leading to Hafiz Saeed’s conviction
- His arrest came just ahead of Pakistani premier’s visit to Washington
Pakistan approves halal meat export policy, targets expansion in Muslim, global markets
- Pakistan’s total production of halal meat stands at six million metric tons annually, PM Office says
- Pakistan exported meat such as beef, mutton and poultry worth $512 million in 2024, official data states
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday approved Pakistan’s halal meat export policy, directing authorities to draw up a three-year action plan aimed at targeting Muslim and global markets, his office said.
Pakistan has attempted in recent months to increase its halal meat exports to other Muslim countries, such as Malaysia. Both countries announced they had agreed to a $200 million halal meat trade quota during Sharif’s visit to the country in October.
Sharif chaired a meeting on Thursday to review Pakistan’s halal meat export policy, in which officials informed him that Pakistan’s halal meat production stands at 6 million metric tons. Officials told the prime minister that after fulfilling local demand, a substantial quantity of the meat is available for export.
“A coordinated and comprehensive strategy, developed in collaboration with all relevant federal ministries and provincial governments, is essential to secure a significant share for Pakistan in the halal meat markets of Muslim countries and worldwide,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) quoted Sharif as saying.
A 2024 report by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said the country exported meat worth $512 million last year, which included beef, mutton and poultry.
The new export strategy outlines regulatory reforms, disease control measures and upgraded slaughterhouse standards that fulfill the global criteria.
Sharif directed authorities to present a proposal within two weeks to improve cold storage facilities and halal meat production in accordance with global standards. He also called for the establishment of centers, in cooperation with the government, to enhance meat production and its nutritional value.
The prime minister assured that his government would provide support for international certification of local slaughterhouses and for their bilateral registration with other countries.
“Special steps will be taken to ensure slaughterhouses are disease-free and meet international hygiene and sanitation standards, the prime minister directed,” the PMO statement said.
According to the PBS, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remained Pakistan’s top meat export market in 2024 with exports to the Gulf nation reaching $201 million. Meanwhile, meat exports to Saudi Arabia recorded a growth of 65.1 percent last year at $141 million.
Other major destinations for meat exports include Kuwait, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Kazakhstan, while China and Kyrgyzstan are among new markets where Pakistan exports meat.
Private Pakistani companies have also stepped up efforts recently to boost meat exports to Muslim countries and other nations.
In September, Karachi-based private company, The Organic Meat Company Limited (TOMCL), secured a $7.5 million order to export cooked or heat-treated frozen boneless beef to China, followed by an $8.1 million contract with Gold Crest Trading FZE for frozen boneless beef exports to the UAE for industrial and household processing.
In November, TOMCL said it was targeting the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Chinese, Canadian and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets to expand its global footprint.
