LAHORE: Pakistan has cancelled the licenses of 44 weapons issued to JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and other members of his organisations, citing security reasons. An official of the Punjab Home Department said the step has been taken in line with the government’s action against Saeed and his organisations – the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the Falaha-e-Insanyat (FIF).

“The Punjab Home Department cancelled licenses of 44 weapons for security reasons,” the official told PTI today.

The government on January 30 had put Saeed and four other leaders of his organizations under house arrest in Lahore for a period of 90 days. Saeed and 37 members of JuD and FIF have also been placed on the Exit Control List, barring them from leaving the country. According to the Punjab Home Department notification, “Both JuD and FIF are engaged in certain activities which could be prejudicial to peace and security and in violation of Pakistan’s obligations to the United Nations Security Council Resolution and both organisations have been placed in the Second Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.” “Hafiz Saeed, Abdullah Ubaid, Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Kashif Niazi are engaged in certain activities which could be prejudicial to peace and security.” The federal government has also put JuD and FIF on the watch list for six months. Saeed, who is carrying a USD 10 million bounty on his head, was also put under house arrest after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack but he was freed by Lahore High Court in 2009.—PTI