Pakistan: 2008 Mumbai Attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed gets 33 years in prison

Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar handed down the guilty verdict in two FIRs from 2019 under various sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997, reports Dawn News.

In one of the cases, the judge awarded five-year imprisonment each under sections 11-H (2), 11-I, 11-J(2), and 18 months jail under section 11-F(2) of the ATA, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

In the other case, the judge awarded a five-year sentence each under sections 11-N, 11-I, 11-J(2) and an 18-month jail term under section 11-F(6) of the ATA.

Apart from the imprisonment sentences, the judge also imposed a collective fine of Rs340,000 on Hafiz Saeed in both the cases.

Saeed is the  2008 Mumbai attack mastermind.

The 2008 Mumbai attacks were twelve coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai by members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Ajmal Kasab, the only attacker who was captured alive, later confessed upon interrogation that the attacks were conducted with the support of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Kasab was hanged on Nov 21, 2012 at Yerwada Jail in Pune.

The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008 and lasted until Saturday, Nov 29, 2008, killing 164 people and wounding at least 308.

Eight of the attacks occurred in South Mumbai - at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital (a women and children's hospital), the Nariman House Jewish community centre, the Metro Cinema, and a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier's College.

There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai's port area, and in a taxi at Vile Parle.