India to seek list of terror assets seized by Pakistan government

NEW DELHI: India plans to ask Pakistan about the details of the assets belonging to three most-wanted terrorists — Dawood Ibrahim, Mohammad Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi — that was to be seized by the government.

The UN Security Council’s Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee has listed all the three terrorists and put sanctions on them, which makes it incumbent upon Pakistan as a UN member-state to freeze their assets and put an arms embargo on them.

"We wish to know what steps Pakistan has taken to freeze their assets and what quantum of assets have been frozen – India needs to know this as all three men are most-wanted in the major terror attacks in India," said a senior official of the security establishment.

The official said it was unclear to India on the quantum and quality of assets of the three terrorists frozen by Pakistan after the UN’s move to list them since 2006.

The communique is planned to be sent to Pakistan through diplomatic channels.

"Pakistan denies that Dawood Ibrahim is on its soil. But we have furnished his list of residences – which are his assets. Hafiz Saeed and Lakhvi are very much in Pakistan," the official said.

India is upset over the release of Lakhvi on bail and has complained to the UN that as a listed terrorist, how could Lakhvi furnish two bail surety bonds worth Rs 10 lakh each for his release when he can neither receive or give money since all his assets and financial resources are claimed to have been frozen by Pakistan.

"This raises suspicion that Lakhvi’s assets are not frozen," an official said.