Pakistan bans Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Haqqani network after US mounts pressure

ISLAMABAD: Facing intense pressure, Pakistan has banned Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the dreaded Haqqani Network along with other terror outfits and slapped foreign travel restrictions on the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind.

Unfazed by the ban, JuD said it will continue its ‘welfare activities’ across the country.

JuD was banned in 2002 by Pakistan but later a court lifted the ban due to ‘lack of evidence’ on the group’s involvement in militancy. The group is also banned by the US, the EU, India and Russia as a terror organisation.

“The foreign office has been issuing statements against JuD on the pressure of the United States in order to please India,” JuD spokesman Yaha Mujahid said. JuD will continue preaching and welfare activities throughout the country,” the spokesman said.

The move to ban Jamaat-ud-Dawa has come amid international pressure on Pakistan to stop making a distinction between good and bad militants after Taliban gunmen stormed an army-run school in Peshawar and killed 150 people, including 136 students, last month.

India has repeatedly demanded Pakistan to hand over Saeed for questioning over his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed 166 lives. Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam confirmed the ban at her weekly news conference on Thursday. Aslam said, “Pakistan took this decision under the UN obligation and not under pressure from any other quarter including John Kerry (US Secretary of State).” She said bank accounts of banned groups have also been frozen and foreign travel restrictions have been imposed on Saeed, Radio Pakistan reported. The decision comes days ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit to India to be the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade.

A Pakistani official said the decision to ban the Jamaat-ud-Dawa and several other groups was taken by the government several days ago and it had tasked the Interior Ministry to decide the modalities of implementing the decision.