The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JD) is not included in a new list of 31 banned extremist and terrorist groups released by the Interior Ministry.
The ministry released the list of banned organisations on Saturday as part of efforts to bar such groups from collecting the hides of animals sacrificed on Eidul Azha, reported a private TV channel. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LT) was included in the new list, but the JD was not on it. After the 2008 Mumbai attacks the UN Security Council had declared JD a front for the LT.
Following the attacks, Pakistani leaders such as Interior Minister Rehman Malik had said JD had been banned, however, during a hearing at the Lahore High Court in 2009, a senior law officer admitted that no notification had been issued to that effect. The new list of banned groups includes Jaish-e-Muhammad and its front organisation Khuddam-ul-Islam, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and its front organisation Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan, Al Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Jaafria Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Muhammadi and Hizb-ut-Tehrir. Other groups on the list are Tehrik-e-Islami, Jamiat-ul-Ansar, Jamiat-ul-Furqan, Khair-un-Naas International Trust, Islamic Students Movement of Pakistan, Islami Tehreek Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Islam, Ansar-ul-Islam, Haji Namdar Group, Balochistan Liberation Army, Balochistan Republican Army, Balochistan Liberation Front, Lashkar-e-Balochistan, Balochistan Liberation United Front and Balochistan Musallah Difa Tanzeem. New additions to the list were People’s Amn Committee of Karachi, Shia Tulaba Action Committee of Gilgit, Markaz Sabeel Organisation of Gilgit and Tanzeem-e-Naujawanan-e-Sunnat of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Interior Ministry warned that any members of the banned groups found collecting animal hides during Eidul Adha would be booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Members of the banned groups cannot assemble, maintain offices, continue their activities and operate bank accounts, an official statement said.
The Interior Ministry said all persons who want to collect hides would have to obtain permission from the district administration chiefs or district magistrates. Traders involved in purchasing hides were directed to deal only with sellers who had permission from authorities to collect hides.
