Total ban on LeT, other terror outfits long overdue: India

India on Wednesday said a complete and enforceable ban by Pakistan on activities of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) affiliates and other terrorist outfits was "long overdue" and Islamabad would have to go far beyond merely proscribing their publicity through electronic media.

An external affairs ministry spokesperson said the government has seen reports of Pakistan's electronic media regulator banning publicity of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), the Falah-e-Insaniyat (FIF) and the LeT through the electronic media, but the relevant notification and its implications need to be studied.

"At first sight, it does appear that it is a ban merely on publicity through electronic media," the spokesperson said in response to a media query.

"A complete and enforceable ban by Pakistan authorities on all activities of all UN-proscribed affiliates of LeT, and other terrorist organisations active in Pakistan has been long overdue. Effective action by Pakistan in this regard will have to go far beyond proscribing their publicity through electronic media," the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson said India's stand on the need for Pakistan to act on its oft-repeated assurances to end all terrorism emanating from territory under its control, including the terrorism directed against India, was well known.

Pakistan's interior ministry on Monday imposed a ban on the media coverage of JuD, Falah-e-Insaniyat and LeT under the National Action Plan (NAP).

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued a notification in this regard.

The JuD is already included in the list of terrorist organisations by the US and the United Nations and proscribed by them.

JuD chief Hafiz Saeed is facing charges from India for allegedly masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which more than 160 people were killed.

The NAP was devised in January 2015 after the attack on Peshawar's Army Public School in December 2014.

Under the NAP, the federal government and military decided to carry out operations in the tribal areas and take action against all terrorist organisations and their facilitators across the country.