The much awaited hearing against Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attack, began here on Friday and a witness in the anti-terrorism court testified against him. This court has also convicted him in another case, Terror Funding. Pakistan is under heavy international pressure for Saeed to take court action.

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore convicted Saeed and three of his key associates Hafiz Abdul Salam bin Muhammad, Muhammad Ashraf and Zafar Iqbal on 11 December on charges of terrorism funding. "The Punjab Police's Anti-Terrorism Department presented a witness in the anti-terrorism court, who testified against Saeed and his three accomplices in financing the terror," a court official said after the hearing.

Saeed and his associates were brought to the ATC amid tight security and journalists were not allowed to come to court during the hearing. The court official said Saeed has been convicted in another terrorist financing case. ATC Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta framed the charges against Saeed and asked the prosecution to produce a witness in the case. The next hearing of the case is scheduled for Saturday.