The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that a ban on the media coverage of the Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) – an offshoot of Jamatud Dawa – was imposed to immobilise its fundraising. The organisation is among those on the watch list of the United Nations (UN).
According to a report in the local media, the ministry informed the court in its reply in response to a petition filed by FIF against the ban on its media coverage.
Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC on Friday reserved his decision on the petition after hearing the counsel for the foreign ministry, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the petitioner.
The government earlier this year banned Jamatud Dawa (JuD) through a presidential ordinance and issued directions for banning the media coverage of FIF. The foreign ministry informed that this was an implementation of the decision of UN Security Council (UNSC), who imposed sanctions on FIF because of its association with Lashkar-i-Taiba.
Deputy Attorney General Raja Khalid Mehmood Khan argued that the government had frozen FIF’s assets and how it (FIF) can run a media campaign without paying the cost of advertisements. He requested the court not to lift the ban as it would send out a bad signal to the international community.
