JuD and Haqqani network banned in Pakistan (Roundup)

In a swift anti-terror move, Pakistan Thursday banned the Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) and the Haqqani Network, besides eight other outfits suspected of fundamentalism and money laundering for terror groups, it was announced here. The US has already declared the JuD and Haqqani Network as terror outfits.

However, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said at a briefing Thursday that "Pakistan took this decision under the UN obligation and not under pressure from any other quarter, including John Kerry (US Secretary of State)," Dawn reported.

The Pakistani government took action against militant organisations without making a distinction between good or bad terrorists after the Dec 16 attack by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan on the Army Public School in Peshawar, the report said.

Besides the JuD and Haqqani Network, Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation, Ummah Tameer-i-Nau, Haji Khairullah Hajji Sattar Money Exchange, Rahat Limited, Roshan Money Exchange, Al Akhtar Trust, and Al Rashid Trust are on the list of outlawed organisations, the report added.

Both the US and India have always considered the JuD - run by Hafiz Saeed and a sister organisation of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba -- as a militant outfit responsible for masterminding the 26/11, 2008, terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

Besides banning the JuD and the Haqqani Network, the government Thursday froze the bank accounts of JuD and barred its leader Hafiz Mohammad Saeed from leaving the country for foreign travel.

"Assets of all banned organisations, including JuD, in the country have been frozen and the country is taking action against terrorists without discrimination," Aslam said.

She said the government has already directed the departments concerned to take immediate steps to freeze the assets of all banned outfits, including the Haqqani Network and JuD.

Haqqani Network has been banned, but the organisation does not have bank accounts in Pakistan, the foreign spokesperson added.

She maintained that the decision has been taken in Pakistan's own interest and not under external pressure.

The Haqqani Network, founded by Jalaluddin Haqqani, has been blamed for some of the most heinous attacks on the US-led international forces in Afghanistan. It was designated as a terrorist organisation by the US in September 2012.