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India-Pakistan

Pakistan arrests al Qaeda operative named in U.N. sanctions list

2016-04-23

[IN.REUTERS] Police in the Pak city of Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... have incarcerated Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! an al Qaeda operative who is on the United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... sanctions list, a police official said on Friday. Pakistain has been under pressure to crack down on Islamist bad boy groups and launched a renewed operation against many of them in 2014, when al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri announced the formation of a new wing, al Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent. The region, stretching across countries including Pakistain, India and Bangladesh, is home to more than 400 million Muslims. Muqadas Haider, a police brass hat, said Abdul Rehman Sindhi was arrested in a joint operation between police and intelligence agencies late on Thursday. "Abdul Rehman Sindhi is an old veteran of al Qaeda," Haider said. "He had stayed in touch with the late Osama bin Laden ... who is now beyond all cares and woe... and Ayman al- Zawahri and has worked with Harkat-ul Jihad Islami, Jaish-e-Mohammad ...literally Army of Mohammad, a Pak-based Deobandi terror group founded by Maulana Masood Azhar in 2000, after he split with the Harkat-ul-Mujaheddin. In 2002 the government of Pervez Musharraf banned the group, which changed its name to Khaddam ul-Islam and continued doing what it had been doing before without missing a beat... and Al Akhtar Trust," he said. Sindhi was put on a U.N. Security Council sanctions list in 2012 for providing "facilitation and financial services to al Qaeda".

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India-Pakistan

Pakistan's banned organisations list to match UN blacklist

2015-02-11

[DAWN] Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan ...Currently the Interior Minister of Pakistain. He is the senior leader of the Pak Moslem League (N) and a close aide to Nawaz Uncle Fester Sharif. He is noted for his vocal anti-American railing in the National Assembly. However (comma) Khan told the U.S. ambassador that he was in fact pro-American but he and the PML-N would have to be critical of US actions in order to remain publicly credible. Khan cited his wife and children's US citizenship as proof, which means he's lying to one side or the other and probably both. He wears a wig, but you probably guessed that. since hair doesn't grow naturally in that shape or texture... on Tuesday directed Secretary Interior Shahid Khan to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reconcile a 'national list' of proscribed organizations as per the blacklist of the United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... Nisar gave the directive in a meeting which met to review progress on the National Action Plan (NAP) for countering militancy and extremism. The meeting was attended by Secretary Interior, National Coordinator NACTA, DG-FIA, Chief Commissioner ICT and IG Islamabad. An official of the Interior Ministry told Dawn.com that the ministry had already included the Haqqani Network and JuD in the list of proscribed outfits but the government was reluctant to formally make an announcement in this regard. The official said that the total number of proscribed outfits in Pakistain has reached 72 and includes 12 banned ...the word banned seems to have a different meaning in Pakistain than it does in most other places. Or maybe it simply lacks any meaning at all... organizations, the number of which will increase in the next few weeks. "The government has also decided to monitor the activities of the banned outfits leadership and to restrict their movement within the country," the official added. According to the documents available with Dawn.com, the interior ministry has added Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami, Harkat-ul-Mujahi­deen, Falah-e-Insaniat Foun­dation, Ummah Tameer-e-Nau, Haji Khairullah Hajji Sattar Money Exchange, Rahat Limited, Roshan Money Exchange, Al Akhtar Trust, Al Rashid Trust, Haqqani network and Jamaat-ud-Dawa ...the front organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba... to the list of proscribed organizations.

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India-Pakistan

Pakistan freezes Jamaatud Dawa bank accounts

2015-01-23

[DAWN] In what appears to be a move towards the swift implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP), Pakistain on Thursday said the bank accounts of Jamaat-ud-Dawa ...the front organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba... (JuD) have been frozen and foreign travel restrictions have been imposed on Hafiz Muhammad Saeed ...who would be wearing a canvas jacket with very long sleeves anyplace but Pakistain... , the organization's leader. "Pakistain took this decision under the UN obligation and not under pressure from any other quarter including John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... ," Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said in a briefing at the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad. Aslam said that assets of all banned ...the word banned seems to have a different meaning in Pakistain than it does in most other places. Or maybe it simply lacks any meaning at all... organizations in the country have been frozen and that the country is taking action against gunnies with discrimination, according to a report published on Radio Pakistain. The FO spokesperson also said that the Haqqani Network has also been banned, however, she added that the organization does not have bank accounts in Pakistain. She further reiterated that the decision has been taken in Pakistain's own interest and not due to external pressure. The US and India both have always considered JuD, the 'charity' organization run by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, as the sister organization of banned Lashkar-e-Taiba ...the Army of the Pure, an Ahl-e-Hadith terror organization founded by Hafiz Saeed. LeT masquerades behind the Jamaat-ud-Dawa facade within Pakistain and periodically blows things up and kills people in India. Despite the fact that it is banned, always an interesting concept in Pakistain, the organization remains an blatant tool and perhaps an arm of the ISI... , a Death Eater outfit facing blame of criminal masterminding 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The Haqqani Network, founded by Afghan warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani, has been blamed for some of the most deadly attacks on US-led foreign forces in Afghanistan was designated as a terrorist organization by the United States in September 2012. An interior ministry official a day earlier confirmed to Dawn.com that Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the Haqqani network are in the list of proscribed outfits. However, denial ain't just a river in Egypt... the government showed reluctance to announce the curb in an official capacity. Talking to Dawn.com, an interior ministry official said the United States had sought a ban on the Haqqani network and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) but the matter was being delayed. According to the documents available with Dawn.com, the interior ministry has added Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami, Harkat-ul-Mujahi­deen, Falah-e-Insaniat Foun­dation, Ummah Tameer-e-Nau, Haji Khairullah Hajji Sattar Money Exchange, Rahat Limited, Roshan Money Exchange, Al Akhtar Trust, Al Rashid Trust, Haqqani network and Jamaat-ud-Dawa to the list of proscribed organizations. "During his recent visit to Islamabad, US Secretary of State John Kerry also appreciated the decision of the government to put a ban on the Haqqani network and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa," the official said. He said the government had already directed the departments concerned to take immediate steps to freeze the assets of the banned outfits, including the Haqqani Network and JuD.

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India-Pakistan

Govt tight-lipped about ban on JuD, Haqqani Network

2015-01-22

[DAWN] The federal government is reluctant to speak about a reported ban on the Haqqani Network and Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD), but government officials in private say the development has occurred as part of the progress on the National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism. An Haqqani Networkofficial of the Ministry of Interior on Wednesday said JuD and the Haqqani Network have been added to the list of proscribed outfits. The official told Dawn.com that it was the demand of the United States to ban the Haqqani Network and JuD but that the government is using "delay tactics". Give them time to empty their bank accounts and tranfer the money, think up new names, and then reopen at thesame old stand. The official said that the recent attack of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) gunnies on Army Public School in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. compelled the government to take strict action against all holy warrior organizations without any differentiation of 'good' and 'bad' Taliban. But JuD's different. They're owned by the Pak govt. According to a document available with Dawn.com, the interior ministry included new organizations in the list of proscribed organizations including: Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami Harkat-ul-Mujahidin Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation The relief wing of JuD. Ummah Tameer-e-Nau A Pak organization that tried to funnel nuclear weapons know-how to al-Qaeda. Hamid Gul's on the board, if that gives you a clue. Haji Khairullah Hajji Sattar Money Exchange Rahat Limited Roshan Money Exchange Al Akhtar Trust Al Rashid Trust Haqqani Network Jamat-ud-Dawa. "During his visit to Islamabad, US Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... also appreciated the decision of the government to ban Haqqani Network and Jamat-ud-Dawa," the official added. The official also said that the government had already directed relevant departments to take immediate steps to freeze the assets of the banned outfits, which include Haqqani Network and Jamat-ud-Dawa. The United States has welcomed Pakistain's decision to ban the groups, terming the move an important step towards eliminating terrorism. The Express Tribune in a report quoted senior Interior Ministry officials as saying that the groups have been banned. The Nation today carried a report quoting a government official saying the ban has not taken effect.

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India-Pakistan

Three more religious groups banned

2012-03-12

[Dawn] The government banned on Saturday another three religious/charity organizations working in the country. According to a bigwig of the interior ministry, with the latest ban imposed on Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), Al Harmain Foundation (AHF) and Rabita Trust (RT), I believe al-Harumain and Rabita Trust were banned under Perv in 2002 or thereabouts and removed after their protestations of innocence around 2006. The dates are just off the top of my head, so could be wrong. the number of outlawed organizations and groups has risen to 38. The three organizations were outlawed by the United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... in 2009 under a resolution adopted by the Security Council. ... and three years later Pakistain gets around to putting them on the list of banned organizations, a process that still has nothing to do with putting them out of business... The ASWJ, known previously as the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain ...a Sunni Deobandi organization, a formerly registered Pak political party, established in the early 1980s in Jhang by Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi. Its stated goal is to oppose Shia influence in Pakistain. They're not too big on Brelvis, either. Or Christians. Or anybody else who's not them. The organization was banned in 2002 as a terrorist organization, but somehow it keeps ticking along, piling up the corpse counts... (SSP), is taking part in activities of a recently-formed group of religious organizations, Difa-e-Pakistain Council. ...and no suggestion of "banning" the Difa-e-Pakistain Council... The council recently attracted large crowds at some of its public meetings in different cities where it lambasted both Islamabad and Washington. The council may strongly react to the government's decision to ban one of its important members. ... probably by blowing something up or killing somebody or both... The AHF is a Soddy Arabia-based organization and also working in Pakistain. The official said the interior ministry had sent letters to the four provincial home secretaries, informing them about the ban on the three organizations. According to the BBC, ASWJ chief Maulana Ahmed Ludhyanvi expressed ignorance about any such ban. "No, no! Certainly not!" However, Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried... he said if it was true he would opt for a legal fight. "We are a peaceful organization," he was quoted as saying. "If anyone places a ban on us...they are trying to place a ban on Pakistain." A document, which the BBC describes as a notification issued by the interior ministry that was not publicly announced, claimed that the ASWJ was suspected to be involved in acts of terrorism in the country and, therefore, it was being added to the first schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The organizations previously banned by the government are: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi ... a 'more violent' offshoot of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain. LeJ's purpose in life is to murder anyone who's not of utmost religious purity, starting with Shiites but including Brelvis, Ahmadis, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Rosicrucians, and just about anyone else you can think of. They are currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of al-Qaeda ... , Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistain (banned on Aug 14, 2001), Jaish-e-Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba ...the Army of the Pure, an Ahl-e-Hadith terror organization founded by Hafiz Saeed. LeT masquerades behind the Jamaat-ud-Dawa facade within Pakistain and periodically blows things up and kills people in India. Despite the fact that it is banned, always an interesting concept in Pakistain, the organization remains an blatant tool and perhaps an arm of the ISI... , Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain, Tehrik-e-Jaafria Pakistain, Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi, Tehrik-e-Islami (on Jan 14, 2002), Al Qaeda (on March 17, 2003), Millat-e-Islamia Pakistain, Khuddam-ul-Islam, Islami Tehrik Pakistain (on Nov 15, 2003), Jamaat-ul-Ansar, Jamaat-ul-Furqan, Hizbut Tehrir (on Nov 20, 2003), Khair-un-Naas International Trust (on Oct 27, 2004), Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... Liberation Army (on April 7, 2006), Islamic Students Movement of Pakistain (on Aug 21, 2006), Lashkar-e-Islam, Ansar-ul-Islam, Haji Namdar Group (on June 30, 2008), Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (on Aug 25, 2008), Jamatud Daawa, Al-Akhtar Trust and Al-Rashid Trust (banned under the UNSC resolution 1267 on Dec 10, 2008), Shia Talba Action Committee, Markaz-e-Sabeel (Gilgit), Tanzeem Naujawan-e-Sunnat (Gilgit), People's Aman Committee, Balochistan Republican Army, Balochistan Liberation Front, Lashkar-e-Balochistan, Balochistan Liberation United Front and Balochistan Musallah Difa Tanzeem (banned in 2011). The fact that there are this many extremist organizations -- merely the ones that urgently need banning, not all of them -- is simply breath-taking. And for some reason the Paks see the problem as some sort of "hidden hand."

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India-Pakistan

Pakistan bans JuD, LeT, JeM

2009-08-06

The Pakistan government has banned 25 religious and other organisations, including the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashker-e-Taiba, the interior ministry said on Wednesday. The ministry presented a list of the banned organisations in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament. It also said the Sunni Tehrik had been put on a watch list. Among the organisations included in the list of outlawed groups are JuD, LeT, JeM, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Muahammadi, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Al-Akhtar Trust, Al-Rasheed Trust, Tehreek-e-Islami, Islamic Students Movement, Khair-un-Nisa International Trust, Islami Tehreek-e-Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Islam, Balochistan Liberation Army, Jamiat-un-Nisar, Khadam Islam and Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan. A majority of the groups have been linked to terrorist attacks and suicide bombings in Pakistan. India has blamed the JuD, LeT and JeM for several attacks on its soil, including the Mumbai attacks and the 2001 assault on the Indian parliament. Pakistan banned the JuD after the UN Security Council declared it a front for the LeT in December last year. The LeT and JeM were banned by the country in 2002. Responding to a question in the National Assembly, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the federal government had banned the 25 organisations and entities under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997. Three of the banned organizations -- JuD, Al-Akhtar Trust and Al-Rasheed Trust -- had been included in the UN Security Council resolution no 1267, he said. Law enforcement agencies closely monitor the activities of these groups and "stern action is taken against those which indulge in objectionable activities," Malik said.

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India-Pakistan

Ban on 25 groups imposed: interior minister

2009-08-06

At least 25 extremist and militant groups and welfare organisations affiliated to them have so far been banned because of their involvement in terrorist activities. In a written reply submitted on Wednesday in response to a question in the National Assembly, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that the banned organisations included Al Qaeda, Sipah-i-Muhammad, Tehrik Nifaz-i-Fiqah Jafaria, Sipah-i-Sahaba, Jamatud Dawa, Al Akhtar Trust, Al Rasheed Trust, Tehrik-i-Islami, Jaish-i-Muhammad, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Islamic Students Movement, Khairun Nisa International Trust, Tehrik-i-Islam Pakistan, Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Lashkar-i-Islam, Balochistan Liberation Army, Jamiat-i-Ansar, Jamiatul Furqan, Hizbut Tehrir, Khuddam-i-Islam and Millat-i-Islamia Pakistan. Mr Malik said Jamaatud Dawa, Al Akhtar Trust, and Al Rasheed Trust were banned on Dec 10, 2008, after they were named in the United Nations Security Council Resolution No 1267 and the Sunni Tehrik was placed on the 'watch list'. He said law-enforcement agencies were closely monitoring their activities and stern action was being taken against people taking part in objectionable activities. He said various steps, including strengthening of intelligence networks, extensive police patrolling and regular raids on criminals' hideouts, were being taken to curb sectarian terrorism during Muharram. Occasional ban on pillion riding, picketing and regular snap-checking was also being carried out to improve the law and order situation. He said all banned organisations were being watched and people suspected of making hate speeches were also under continuous surveillance. He said the government of Punjab had issued a 'red book' for arresting most-wanted sectarian terrorists.

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India-Pakistan

Pakistani clerics issue preemptive jihad fatwa against India

2009-01-06

A group of clerics and religious scholars have issued a fatwa or edict that says jihad will be obligatory for every Pakistani citizen in the event of any attack on the country by India. The fatwa was announced at a conference organised by the Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat Mahaz at Jamia Naeemia seminary in Lahore on Monday. The meeting, chaired by Federal Minister Noorul Haq Qadri, was arranged to discuss Pakistan's security concerns in the face of ‘Indian war threats’. Besides declaring that jihad would be obligatory for all Pakistanis in case of an attack by India, a communiqué issued by the clerics said the Pakistan Government should end its support to the US war on Terror on the western border in case of hostilities with India. The conference demanded that Pakistan should "shrug off the Indian pressure and adopt a courageous and independent stance befitting a sovereign state". The clerics called on the government to "unveil the Indian conspiracies hatched against Pakistan before the world". The communiqué said the clerics and scholars reaffirmed the "belief that the basic purpose of Pakistan's nuclear capability was to ensure the security of the country against any foreign aggression". Pakistan valued its nuclear scientists, particularly A Q Khan, the communique said. Besides the nuclear capability and defence preparations, the security of any country depended on its internal stability, it stated. Jamia Naeemia's principal Sarfraz Naeemi said the TNRM will organise a rally in Lahore on January 14 to condemn the "anti-Muslim and aggressive policies" of Israel and India. Besides Federal Minister Qadri, the conference was attended by leaders of political parties like the Pakistan People's Party, PML-N, PML-Q, Tehrik-e-Insaf, Sunni Tehrik, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan and Jamaat Ahle Sunnat. Meanwhile, the hardline Jamaat-e-Islami has warned the Pakistan government about "India's hegemonic designs in the region with the support of Western powers". The Jamaat also said India would "suffer dearly in case of any misadventure". "If India committed any aggression, it will not only suffer huge losses but also be responsible for the use of lethal nuclear weapons in the region," said a resolution passed by the Jamaat-e-Islami 'shoora' or council on Monday. The resolution described the Mumbai attacks as "a 9/11-like international conspiracy through which the Indian and US rulers wanted to achieve their designs in the region". It accused India's ruling Congress party of "resorting to inhuman and undemocratic tactics by creating fanaticism in Hindu-majority areas for the sake of winning elections". The resolution expressed concern at the Pakistan government's "apologetic attitude and foreign policy" in the face of the aggressive designs of the "enemies". The resolution added that "complete harmony" is needed between the Pakistan Army and the people for countering threats to the country. The resolution also condemned the banning of "patriotic welfare organisations" like the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, Al-Rasheed Trust, Al-Ameen Trust and Al-Akhtar Trust.

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India-Pakistan

Noose tightens around Hafiz Saeed, LT and Jamaatud Daawa

2008-12-13

The United Nations Security Council's Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee on Wednesday added the names of a host of Pakistani organisations and individuals -- including Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LT), Jamaatud Daawa (JD), the Al Rashid Trust, Al Akhtar International, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Haji Muhammad Ashraf -- to its consolidated list. Contrary to reports, Gen (r) Hamid Gul's name was not on the list. Hafiz Muhammad Saeed -- chief of LT -- was born in Sargodha in 1950, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in Okara in 1960 and Haji Muhammad Ashraf -- LT's chief of finance -- in 1965. Ashraf is listed as LT's chief of finance. The UN announcement says the LT is also known as Al Mansoorian, Paasban-e-Kashmir, Paasban-e-Ahl-e-Hadith. The Al Rashid Trust is said to be known as the Al Ameen Trust with branches in several Pakistani cities. While headquartered in Pakistan, its operations extend to Afghanistan, Kosovo and Chechnya, and the organisation is said to be involved in the financing of Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Until October 21, this entity appeared also as the Aid Organisation of the Ulema Pakistan. Al Akhtar Trust International -- another sanctioned entity -- is also known as the Azmat-e-Pakistan Trust with regional offices in Bahawalpur, Bawalnagar, Gilgit, Islamabad, Mirpur Khas and Tando Jan Muhammad. It also runs the Akhtarabad Medical Camp in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan. US welcomes: On Wednesday, the US welcomed the development in a statement saying, "The US is pleased that the committee has decided to move forward on these high-priority designations."

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India-Pakistan

Pakistan tightens screws on Dawa

2008-12-13

Police shut down offices of Jamaatud Dawa and arrested scores of operatives as it continued a crackdown against the banned group on Friday, officials said. Islamabad Police sealed three offices of Jamaatud Daawa on Friday. One was near Masjid Quba in the I-8 Markaz and another in Street 35 in G-6/4, Chief Commissioner Kamran Lashari said. No arrests were made. Officials said the group had abandoned its G-6 office before the police raid. Later on Friday, police raided and sealed another office located on Korri Road near Shahzad Town, and arrested six suspected operatives. NWFP: Jamaatud Dawa officials in Peshawar said police had arrested 150 operatives in a province-wide operation and sealed 46 offices. Many workers have gone underground. Police closed the Jaamatud Dawa headquarters at Peshawar's Fawara Chowk late on Thursday. No arrests were made. Frontier Police also closed down offices of the banned Al Akhtar Trust and Al Rashid Trust in the Saddar, Hashtnagri, Gulbahar and Yakatoot areas of the city and in the rest of the province. Police raided an office, two schools and a religious seminary run by Jamaatud Dawa in Muzaffarabad, and placed its leader Abdul Aziz Alvi under house arrest. Rawalpindi: In Rawalpindi, police and other agencies sealed five offices of Jamaatud Dawa -- in Satellite Town, Kashmari Bazaar, Benazir Bhutto Road, Pindora and Tench Bhatta -- sources in the police said, but did not make any arrests. Lahore: In Lahore, divisional superintendents of police took surety bonds from the Jamaatud Dawa operatives, police sources told Daily Times. The Interior Ministry had issued detention orders for JD chief Hafiz Saeed, Ameer Hamza, Yahya Mujahid and Abu Umer Qazi. Saeed has been put under house arrest. The name of a second detained leader could not be confirmed. Police continued to search for the other two on Friday. Multan Police sealed a JD office at Rasheedabad Chowk, and a school and a dispensary on Tareen Road in a midnight operation. Police also sealed Jamaatud Dawa offices in south Punjab cities of Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Arifwala, Bahawalnagar, Khanewal, and held one operative each from Arifwala and Rajanpur. Sindh: In Sindh, officials said they had arrested 11 operatives of the banned group and sealed six offices and six seminaries, but Jamaatud Dawa officials claimed 100 operatives had been held and 35 offices sealed. "Seven of the men and two of the seminaries belonged to Karachi," Sindh Special Secretary Collin Kamran Dost told Daily Times. Law enforcement agencies sealed a Jamaatud Dawa office and a library on New Zarghoon Road in Quetta late on Thursday. No arrests were made.

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India-Pakistan

US identifies new aliases of 2 blacklisted Pakistan-based groups

2008-07-03

The Bush administration on Wednesday accused two blacklisted Pakistan-based groups, operating under “new aliases”, of trying to evade financial sanctions. The Treasury Department identified numerous alleged aliases for Al Rashid Trust and Al Akhtar Trust International, two groups that the United States has previously accused of supporting Al Qaeda. Al Rashid was designated in September 2001 and Al Akhtar was put on the blacklist in October 2003. That action meant that any assets found in the US were frozen and Americans were barred from making donations and doing business with the groups. The department alleged that Al Rashid was now operating under other names, including Al Amin Welfare Trust and Al Ameen Trust, while Al Akhtar was using other names, including Pakistan Relief Foundation and Azmat Pakistan Trust. “We are very concerned about designated entities reconstituting themselves under new names in attempts to circumvent sanctions and continue funnelling money to terrorist activities,” said Treasury Office Foreign Assets Control Director Adam Szubin, which oversees the US financial sanctions programmes. “We will continue to put the public on notice when we find that a designated entity is trying to operate under the cloak of a new alias,” he said.

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India-Pakistan

Okara child marriage: NWS to seek court's help

2008-01-27

Nida Welfare Society (NWS), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), is likely to submit another application regarding the implementation of court orders in the case of Safia Ghafoor’s “unregistered nikah” to Abbass Azam. The orders had been issued by the District Sessions Judge (Okara), not to marry nine-year-old Safia to her 35-year-old cousin Abbass (a physically challenged person) till she had attained puberty. Despite that, the ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ were still living together, according to NWS chairperson Fouzia Chughtai. On December 25, 2007, Safia, daughter of Abdul Ghafoor, a resident of Chak 33-1 Al-Akhtarabad, was forced to marry Abbass, to settle a gambling debt. Ghafoor owed gambling money to his sister-in-law’s husband, so he wed Sofia to her son as compensation. On the intervention of the NWS, the court had directed the Shergarh station house officer to recover the minor and produce her in the court. Abdul Ghafoor had confessed to the court that there had been no written nikah and Safia was a minor. He told the court that he had shown a forged birth certificate to the police. On January 11, the court had passed orders that since Safia was only 9, she should not be married to Abbass yet. Fouzia said the NWS would seek the court’s help, because Abdul Ghafoor was in contempt of court. She said Abdul Ghafoor should be prosecuted under the relevant provisions of law, as he had not complied with court orders.

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