Inciting public to raise funds for "Jihad" (holy war) is not allowed to individuals in Pakistan and is considered as treason, the Lahore High Court has ruled as it dismissed appeals of two men convicted for raising funds for proscribed outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
"At the most, it may be a job of the state to collect national funds for a declared war, if essential, which cannot be raised privately by any organisation," a two-judge bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi explains in a verdict, Dawn reported.
It further reported that an anti-terrorism court of Sargodha had handed down five-year imprisonment each to the appellants -Muhammad Ibrahim and Ubaidur Rehman -- in January 2021.
As per the prosecution story, the police on a tip-off arrested Ibrahim and recovered 136 pamphlets, one used and two unused subscription books of the banned outfit and cash, whereas a receipt of the donation was recovered from Rehman, besides other material, the Pakistani publication reported.
The counsel for the appellants argued that neither any other donor, nor the person to whom the funds were transferred, was arrested, nor any membership card of the proscribed organization was recovered from the appellants, Dawn reported.
Justice Najafi, the author of the verdict, rejected the arguments, saying no mala fide of the police witnesses was even alleged to cast aspersion on their credibility.
He observes that the display of different heads on the pamphlet was not essential as the fact remains that the TTP is a defunct and proscribed organisation which has caused damage not only to the state institutions and targeted the state high functionaries, but also intensified the wave of terrorism in the past, which would not have been possible without financial support, Dawn reported.
It further reported that the judge maintains that the prosecution proved the case against the appellants on the basis of direct evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.
( With inputs from ANI )
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