Issuing the list of their names, Home Department Punjab on Tuesday directed the Lahore and Punjab Police to stop 22 banned outfits from collecting zakat, fitrana and donations during the holy month of Ramazan.
The list includes the names of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipahe Muhammad Pakistan, Lashkare Tayyaba, Jaishe Muhammad, Sipahe Sahaba Pakistan, Tehreek Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi, Tehreeke Jafria Pakistan, Millate Islamia Pakistan, Khudam-ul-Islam, Islami Tehreeke Pakistan, Hizb-ul-Tehreer, Jamiat-ul-Ansaar, Jamat-ul-Furqan, Khair-ul-Nisa International Trust, Islamic Students Movement Pakistan, Tehreeke Taliban Pakistan and Jamat-ul-Dawa.
The list also includes the names of five banned outfits from Balochistan. These banned outfits are Balochistan Liberation Front, Balochistan Republican Army, Lashkare Balochistan, Balochistan Liberation United Front and Balochistan Armed Defence Organization. Home Department has also ordered Punjab and Lahore police to observe the activities of Sunni Tehreek which has not been banned yet.
When contacted, DIG Operations Lahore Ghulam Mehmood Dogar said the police was yet to receive formal directions. He, however, said they were vigilant and were keeping a lookout under schedule 4 of Anti Terrorism Act.
A district police officer asking not to be named told Pakistan Today that these banned organisations can only be controlled if their members are arrested.
It was noticed, however, that the aforementioned organisations have been able to collect zakat, fitrana and donations in the month of Ramadan in the name of Islam. On the eve of Eid-Ul-Azha last, they were seen asking for hides of sacrificial animals to raise funds even on the Mall road.
Yahya Mujahid, a spokesman of a banned outfit, claimed that they have court orders for collecting funds for their welfare projects. He claimed that government was violating court orders and his organisation would collect funds nonetheless.
