Pakistan sentences 4 to death over attack near Hafiz Saeed home 

Security officials inspect the site of an explosion that killed at least three people and wounded several others in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on June 23, 2021. (AFP/FILE)
Short Url
Updated 13 January 2022
Follow

Pakistan sentences 4 to death over attack near Hafiz Saeed home 

  • All five of the convicted were arrested after the June 23 attack last year near the residence of Hafiz Saeed 
  • Saeed has been designated a terrorist by the U.S. Justice Department and has a $10 million bounty on his head 

MULTAN: A Pakistani court on Wednesday sentenced four men to death for their involvement in a car bombing last year that killed four people near the residence of an anti-India leader.
The court also served up a five-year jail term for a woman convicted of facilitating the attack in the eastern city of Lahore, according to a statement released by the Punjab province Counter Terrorism Department.
All five of the convicted — including the four men convicted of murder — are Pakistani and were arrested after the June 23 attack last year near the residence of anti-India leader Hafiz Saeed. Saeed has been designated a terrorist by the U.S. Justice Department and has a $10 million bounty on his head.




Chief of Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD) Hafiz Saeed waves to supporters as he leaves a court in Lahore, Pakistan on November 21, 2017. ( AFP/ File photo)

Saeed is the founder of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which was blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. Lashkar-e-Taiba was active for years in Kashmir, which is split between Pakistan and India and is claimed by both.
In 2020, Pakistan sentenced Saeed to 15 years in prison in a terror financing case, but he was never charged over the Mumbai attacks. He was serving his term under house arrest under a government order and he escaped the bombing attack unharmed. Four bystanders were killed.
Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. They have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir since gaining independence in 1947. 


Pakistan pitches digital finance reforms to foreign fintech investors

Updated 4 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan pitches digital finance reforms to foreign fintech investors

  • Khurram Schehzad highlights progress on digital banking and plans for regulating blockchain and virtual assets
  • Visiting delegation welcomes policy clarity, sees scope for long-term investment and partnerships in Pakistan

KARACHI: Pakistan on Saturday pitched its digital finance and fintech reforms to foreign investors as part of a broader effort to attract capital after macroeconomic stabilization, with a senior official highlighting progress on digital banking, payments infrastructure and regulatory overhaul.

The outreach came as Islamabad seeks to sustain reform momentum following a period of economic stress, positioning technology-led financial inclusion as a pillar of its recovery and growth strategy while courting international investors.

Khurram Schehzad, adviser to the finance minister, briefed a delegation of international fintech investors on Pakistan’s reform agenda and digital growth plans at a meeting in federal capital, according to a statement from the finance ministry.

“Consistent policy implementation and structural reforms have strengthened macroeconomic fundamentals and improved Pakistan’s investment outlook,” he said, highlighting the “renewed global confidence” in the economy.

Officials said the discussions focused on the government’s Digital Pakistan Vision, including efforts to expand digital payments, build public digital infrastructure and digitize government transactions to widen financial inclusion and formalize the economy.

Schehzad cited the role of Raast, Pakistan’s instant payment system, which enables real-time, low-cost and interoperable digital payments nationwide, as well as regulatory reforms introduced by the State Bank of Pakistan to modernize retail digital banking.

Under the new framework, easypaisa Digital Bank has been operational for nearly a year, while Mashreq Digital Bank has also begun operations, with several other digital banks moving toward launch, the statement said.

The adviser also outlined Pakistan’s plans to develop a regulatory framework for blockchain, Web3.0 and virtual assets, saying authorities were engaging with global platforms to support innovation while ensuring compliance and investor protection.

The investor delegation was led by John Sfakianakis, chairman of Fintech Solutions Holding, alongside the company’s chief executive Kirill Smolin, and was facilitated by local technology firm Tech Avenue.

The investors welcomed the “clarity of reforms and policy direction,” saying Pakistan’s combination of macroeconomic stabilization, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies offered opportunities for long-term investment and strategic partnerships, the finance ministry said.