US labels Pak money exchanger ‘global terrorist’ for funding LeT

Iqbal has been labelled a Lashkar conduit and “a founding member of Lashkar-affiliated NGO Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation’s (FIF) governing board”. According to Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S Cohen, the State Department “identified FIF as an alias of Lashkar in November 2010”.

“Iqbal uses his business, AME, to conduct financial transactions on behalf of the LeT and its affiliates. As of April 2013, Iqbal informed customers that they could send money from AME to Lashkar front Jamaat-ud Dawa, which the State Department identified as an alias of Lashkar in April 2006,” it said.

According to the US government, Iqbal also served as FIF’s finance secretary as of 2010 and in that role, he shared responsibility with six other FIF officers for approving new members of the group.

“Iqbal and these six FIF officers were also responsible for identifying banks to hold FIF funds and endorsing, signing and delivering check drafts and other money payment orders on behalf of FIF. During this time, Iqbal sent about $25,000 to Lashkar operations chief and SDGT (Special Designated Global Terrorist) Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and assisted LeT chief financial officer and SDGT Haji Muhammad Ashraf in sending money to an LeT associate,” the statement added.

According to the US, AME has been providing financial services to LeT since 2005, accepted donations on behalf of the terror outfit and facilitated financial transfers between Lashkar donors and the group.