US State Department slams Pakistan on JUD being removed from ban list

The US on Tuesday said the recent removal of the ban on Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation runs counter to Pakistan's commitment to theFinancial Action Task Force (FATF) and would jeopardise the country's ability to meet its commitments to fight terrorism under the UN Security Council resolution.

The JuD and FIF are no longer on the list of banned outfits in Pakistan after a recent lapse of an ordinance led to the lifting of the ban on these terrorist organisations.

The ordinance lapsed after the new Imran Khan government did not extend it.

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Speaking to WION, the US State Department said that the lifting of the ban runscounter to Islamabad's commitments. The department addedthat it will jeopardise Pakistan's ability to meet its commitment under UNSC resolution 1267.

United States is deeply concerned that this development will jeopardize Pakistan’s ability to meet its commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 to freeze and prevent the raising and moving of funds belonging to or associated with UN-designated terrorist groups.

The State Department said that, "As we have said before, the United States is deeply concerned that this development will jeopardize Pakistan’s ability to meet its commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 to freeze and prevent the raising and moving of funds belonging to or associated with UN-designated terrorist groups. This development underscores the importance of Pakistan urgently enacting legislation that formally proscribes Jamaat- ud -Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FiF)".

The department also asked Pakistan to enact legislation.

India has been pushing Pakistan to bring to justice the terrorists responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Saeed is the co-founder of the Lashkar-e- Taiba.

(With inputs from agencies)