A day after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-nsc-meeting-pakistan-bans-hafiz-saeed-led-jud-charity-wing-falah-e-insaniat-foundation-198808">Pakistan banned 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind</a> Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-Ud-Dawa (Jud) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), New Delhi reacted saying these are just cosmetic response which Pakistan is scrambling to put.&nbsp;

Top sources in New Delhi told WION, "Pakistan's scrambling to put together a response, even this cosmetic response is evidence of the coordinated diplomatic campaign that India has undertaken across multiple capitals and in Delhi".

Adding further, sources said due to rising diplomatic pressure from New Delhi, "Pakistan is increasingly getting isolated globally and is acting in desperation to be seen as taking action."

In the wake of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/pulwama-attack-cannot-be-allowed-to-go-unanswered-198875">Pulwama terror attack</a> that killed over 40 CRPF personnel, India has started a diplomatic campaign to isolate Islamabad. The Ministry of External Affairs has briefed envoys of over 30 countries from ASEAN, Africa, permanent and non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) about Pakistan's involvement in the gruesome terror attack.

The source added, "Many countries have unequivocally condemned the Pulwama attack with a number of them directly calling for JeM to be held accountable".&nbsp;

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/members-of-council-condemn-heinous-and-cowardly-suicide-bombing-unsc-on-pulwama-terror-attack-198830">UNSC has also condemned the attack</a> and named Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) - Pakistan-based terror outfit&nbsp;which took responsibility for last week's attack. It is interesting to know the banning by Pakistan of the terrorist group comes when the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is due to meet in Paris.&nbsp;

Sources said, "This diplomatic campaign has seen a specific thrust at the United Nations with the Security Council's condemnation of the attack. India worked behind the scenes and at the FATF where a current review of Pakistan's status as a country sponsoring and abetting terrorism is under review."

Pakistan was put on the FATF grey list last year which means the country comes under financial jurisdiction with “structural deficiencies” in anti-money laundering (AML) and combating financing of terrorism (CFT) -- simply put, for&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;financing of terror.

&nbsp;

A day after Pakistan banned 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-Ud-Dawa (Jud) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), New Delhi reacted saying these are just cosmetic response which Pakistan is scrambling to put.

A day after Pakistan banned 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jamaat-Ud-Dawa (Jud) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), New Delhi reacted saying these are just cosmetic response which Pakistan is scrambling to put. Top sources in New Delhi told WION, "Pakistan's scrambling to put together a response, even this cosmetic response is evidence of the coordinated diplomatic campaign that India has undertaken across multiple capitals and in Delhi". Adding further, sources said due to rising diplomatic pressure from New Delhi, "Pakistan is increasingly getting isolated globally and is acting in desperation to be seen as taking action." In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack that killed over 40 CRPF personnel, India has started a diplomatic campaign to isolate Islamabad. The Ministry of External Affairs has briefed envoys of over 30 countries from ASEAN, Africa, permanent and non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) about Pakistan's involvement in the gruesome terror attack. The source added, "Many countries have unequivocally condemned the Pulwama attack with a number of them directly calling for JeM to be held accountable". The UNSC has also condemned the attack and named Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) - Pakistan-based terror outfit which took responsibility for last week's attack. It is interesting to know the banning by Pakistan of the terrorist group comes when the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is due to meet in Paris. Sources said, "This diplomatic campaign has seen a specific thrust at the United Nations with the Security Council's condemnation of the attack. India worked behind the scenes and at the FATF where a current review of Pakistan's status as a country sponsoring and abetting terrorism is under review." Pakistan was put on the FATF grey list last year which means the country comes under financial jurisdiction with “structural deficiencies” in anti-money laundering (AML) and combating financing of terrorism (CFT) -- simply put, for supporting financing of terror.

Pakistan is getting globally isolated; move to ban JuD, FIF is cosmetic response to our diplomatic campaign: India

Pakistan on Thursday banned the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-pm-imran-khan-chairs-nsc-meeting-again-asks-for-actionable-proof-on-pulwama-attack-sources-to-wion-198779"> Hafiz Saeed-led Jamat-</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-pm-imran-khan-chairs-nsc-meeting-again-asks-for-actionable-proof-on-pulwama-attack-sources-to-wion-198779">ud</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-pm-imran-khan-chairs-nsc-meeting-again-asks-for-actionable-proof-on-pulwama-attack-sources-to-wion-198779">-Dawa</a> and its charity wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, amid intense global pressure to rein in the militant groups following the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers.

A spokesman of the interior ministry said that the decision to ban these groups was taken during a meeting of the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-fires-at-posts-civilian-areas-along-loc-in-jk-for-third-day-indian-troops-retaliate-198774"> National Security Committee </a>(NSC) chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan at his office on Thursday.

"It was decided during the meeting to accelerate action against proscribed organisations," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"It was further decided that Jamat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation be notified as proscribed organizations by the Ministry of Interior," he added.

Earlier, the two outfits were kept on the watchlist of the interior ministry.

According to officials, JuD's network includes 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance service. The two groups have about 50,000 volunteers and hundreds of other paid workers.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated its chief Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a $10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.

Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. He was released from house arrest in Pakistan in November 2017.

The NSC meeting also reviewed the National Action Plan against terrorism in detail. Services chiefs and key ministers were in attendance.

"We need to move to ensure that militancy and extremism are rooted from the society and the State never becomes hostage to extremists," Khan said as he directed both the interior ministry and the security institutions to immediately accelerate actions on the ground.

Pakistan on Thursday banned the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamat-ud-Dawa and its charity wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, amid intense global pressure to rein in the militant groups following the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers.

Pakistan on Thursday banned the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamat-ud-Dawa and its charity wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, amid intense global pressure to rein in the militant groups following the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers. A spokesman of the interior ministry said that the decision to ban these groups was taken during a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan at his office on Thursday. "It was decided during the meeting to accelerate action against proscribed organisations," the spokesperson said in a statement. "It was further decided that Jamat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation be notified as proscribed organizations by the Ministry of Interior," he added. Earlier, the two outfits were kept on the watchlist of the interior ministry. According to officials, JuD's network includes 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance service. The two groups have about 50,000 volunteers and hundreds of other paid workers. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The US Department of the Treasury has designated its chief Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a $10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice. Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. He was released from house arrest in Pakistan in November 2017. The NSC meeting also reviewed the National Action Plan against terrorism in detail. Services chiefs and key ministers were in attendance. "We need to move to ensure that militancy and extremism are rooted from the society and the State never becomes hostage to extremists," Khan said as he directed both the interior ministry and the security institutions to immediately accelerate actions on the ground.

After NSC meeting, Pakistan bans Hafiz Saeed-led JuD & charity wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation

Fineprint: Pakistan bans Hafiz Saeed's Jamat-ud-Dawa

Indian intelligence sources have told the Zee group that Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed have been told to lie low after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/awantipora-crpf-convoy-hit-by-explosives-laden-vehicle-several-jawans-killed-197418">the Pulwama attack</a>.&nbsp;

At least 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives in the Pulwama attack after a local youth, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/adil-ahmad-dar-the-man-who-carried-out-the-pulwama-attack-197476">Adil Ahmad Dar</a>, rammed a car laden with explosives into a bus carrying the Central Reserve Police Force men.&nbsp;

The attack was later claimed by the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed which is headed by Azhar.&nbsp;

Saeed is a co-founder of the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. India says he is the mastermind of the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks, in which over 165 civilians were killed.&nbsp;

According to the sources, about 80 kilograms of RDX were used in the Pulwama attack.&nbsp;

They sources added that the RDX used in the attack was procured by the Pakistani Army in Rawalpindi and handed over to JeM operatives. The process of collecting the RDX reportedly began in March 2018 and the explosive smuggled in backpacks, cylinders and coal bags to Pulwama's Tral village.&nbsp;

Tensions between India and Pakistan have been running high since the attack.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said India was blaming Pakistan for the attack "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pulwama-attack-india-blaming-pakistan-without-evidence-says-imran-khan-198266">without any evidence</a>".&nbsp;

He asked why Pakistan would help carry out such an attack when it was heading towards "stability".&nbsp;

He also added that Pakistan would be forced to retaliate should India attack it.&nbsp;

Both Azhar and Saeed are Pakistani nationals. Azhar has been living in Pakistan — as does Saeed — since he was released by India after the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in December 1999.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Indian intelligence sources have told the Zee group that Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed have been told to lie low after the Pulwama attack. At least 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives in the Pulwama attack after a local youth, Adil Ahmad Dar, rammed a car laden with explosives into a bus carrying the Central Reserve Police Force men.

Indian intelligence sources have told the Zee group that Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed have been told to lie low after the Pulwama attack. At least 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives in the Pulwama attack after a local youth, Adil Ahmad Dar, rammed a car laden with explosives into a bus carrying the Central Reserve Police Force men. The attack was later claimed by the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed which is headed by Azhar. Saeed is a co-founder of the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. India says he is the mastermind of the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks, in which over 165 civilians were killed. According to the sources, about 80 kilograms of RDX were used in the Pulwama attack. They sources added that the RDX used in the attack was procured by the Pakistani Army in Rawalpindi and handed over to JeM operatives. The process of collecting the RDX reportedly began in March 2018 and the explosive smuggled in backpacks, cylinders and coal bags to Pulwama's Tral village. Tensions between India and Pakistan have been running high since the attack. On Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said India was blaming Pakistan for the attack "without any evidence". He asked why Pakistan would help carry out such an attack when it was heading towards "stability". He also added that Pakistan would be forced to retaliate should India attack it. Both Azhar and Saeed are Pakistani nationals. Azhar has been living in Pakistan — as does Saeed — since he was released by India after the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in December 1999.

After Pulwama attack, Pak tells Masood Azhar, Hafiz Sayeed to lie low: Sources

WION Fineprint, 8th February, 2019

India has reacted to 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed's recent rally in Lahore and has sent a note verbale on the same to Pakistan. Saeed's rally was in Lahore on February 5. India raised the matter with Pakistan on February 6, a day after the rally took place.

Saeed, the co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the chief of Jama'at-ud-Da'wah (JuD), had taken part in the rally as part of the Kashmir solidarity day.

In the note verbale sent by the Ministry of External Affairs to Pakistan High Commission, India registered its "strong protest at the continued use of Pakistan controlled territory by extremist and terrorist elements" to "freely propagate and promote violence and terror against India."

Further, India "once again" called upon the "government of Pakistan to fulfill its international obligations" and "abide by its bilateral committment to not allow any territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India in any manner".

Time and again, India has condemned Saeed's free movement in Pakistan and has raised the matter with the neighbouring country. Last year, at the United Nation, India slammed Pakistan for its support to terror and asked how is that a "UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed enjoys a free run inside Pakistan and spews venom and sets up candidates for electoral office?"

JuD is a UN-designated terrorist organisation with a $10 million dollar bounty by the US on its founder Hafiz Saeed.

Despite Islamabad saying it wants peace with India, Pakistani ministers have been sharing the dais with Hafiz Saeed. On September 30, 2018, Pakistan's Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Minister Noor-ul-Haq Qadri was spotted with Hafiz Saeed. Both were seen making anti-India statements.

In December 2018, a video surfaced showing Pakistan's Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi openly expressing Pak government's support to Hafiz Saeed and his organization.&nbsp;

JuD has also opened centres in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in collaboration with a prominent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader.&nbsp;

JuD and Hafiz Saeed's NGO Falah-e-Insaniyat are no longer in the list of Pakistan’s banned organizations. Pakistan ordinance proscribed them lapsed.&nbsp;

In January, India sent a number of note verbales to Pakistan on a host of issues including the matter of Indian Diplomats' harassment, killing of Indian fisherman and stopping of Indian cargo flights to Afghanistan.

India has reacted to 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed's recent rally in Lahore and has sent a note verbale on the same to Pakistan. Saeed's rally was in Lahore on February 5.

India has reacted to 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed's recent rally in Lahore and has sent a note verbale on the same to Pakistan. Saeed's rally was in Lahore on February 5. India raised the matter with Pakistan on February 6, a day after the rally took place. Saeed, the co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the chief of Jama'at-ud-Da'wah (JuD), had taken part in the rally as part of the Kashmir solidarity day. In the note verbale sent by the Ministry of External Affairs to Pakistan High Commission, India registered its "strong protest at the continued use of Pakistan controlled territory by extremist and terrorist elements" to "freely propagate and promote violence and terror against India." Further, India "once again" called upon the "government of Pakistan to fulfill its international obligations" and "abide by its bilateral committment to not allow any territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India in any manner". Time and again, India has condemned Saeed's free movement in Pakistan and has raised the matter with the neighbouring country. Last year, at the United Nation, India slammed Pakistan for its support to terror and asked how is that a "UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed enjoys a free run inside Pakistan and spews venom and sets up candidates for electoral office?" JuD is a UN-designated terrorist organisation with a $10 million dollar bounty by the US on its founder Hafiz Saeed. Despite Islamabad saying it wants peace with India, Pakistani ministers have been sharing the dais with Hafiz Saeed. On September 30, 2018, Pakistan's Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Minister Noor-ul-Haq Qadri was spotted with Hafiz Saeed. Both were seen making anti-India statements. In December 2018, a video surfaced showing Pakistan's Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi openly expressing Pak government's support to Hafiz Saeed and his organization. JuD has also opened centres in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in collaboration with a prominent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader. JuD and Hafiz Saeed's NGO Falah-e-Insaniyat are no longer in the list of Pakistan’s banned organizations. Pakistan ordinance proscribed them lapsed. In January, India sent a number of note verbales to Pakistan on a host of issues including the matter of Indian Diplomats' harassment, killing of Indian fisherman and stopping of Indian cargo flights to Afghanistan.

India takes note of Hafiz Saeed's recent rally in Lahore, raises matter with Pakistan

India protests against Hafiz Saeed roaming freely, sends 'note verbale' to Pakistan

Former Pakistani diplomat Husain Haqqani has had a successful&nbsp;career serving as Pakistan's ambassador to&nbsp;the US during President Bush's administration. In his early years, he served both Nawaz Sharif and former PM Benazir Bhutto during the tumultuous period in the late 80s and early 90s.

Now an expert on South Asian affairs, he is also a prolific writer, part-time journalist and academic. Haqqani is currently in India. He spoke exclusively to WION on India-Pakistan relations, the Kartarpur corridor, China's Belt and Road Initiative with Pak and Imran Khan's 'Naya Pakistan'.

WION: How do you view the current relations between India and Pakistan?

Husain Haqqani: India and Pakistan relations are at a stalemate. India wants&nbsp;terrorism to be resolved, it also wants justice for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Pakistan, on the other hand, wants to normalise relations without addressing any of these concerns.

Pakistan's definition of normalisation is not the same as India's definition of normalisation of relations. Ideally, India and Pakistan should have the kind of relations which the United States and Canada have, also like Franco-German relations.

WION: Then what kind of template do you see for India-Pakistan relations?

Husain Haqqani: India and Pakistan are neighbours and they will always be neighbours, until 1947, India and Pakistan had the same currency, the same communications network, the same railway network. It was the most integrated region in the world, now it is the least integrated.

The template for India and Pakistan should be in which we are two countries and we respect each other's sovereignty but we have open borders and a large amount of trade with each other and lot of travel basically not looking upon each other as enemies.

WION: On the question of terrorism, how can the stalemate be broken?

Husain Haqqani: Pakistan is hoping the terrorism issue will just fall by the wayside, everyone will forget about it and new things will start coming. India, of course, does not accept it. India wants those who were involved in the Mumbai attacks either punished or identified and there is some kind of acknowledgement that terrorism in India was supported by the Pakistan state and at least tolerated by the Pakistan state.

People like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar whose involvement in terrorism has been acknowledged by the international community should not be allowed to roam freely in Pakistan.

WION: How do you view the Kartarpur corridor and its impact on India-Pak relations?

Husain Haqqani: All openings in the relations between India and Pakistan must be welcomed but the Kartarpur corridor is simply a very limited effort to facilitate the movement of pilgrims from Indian Punjab to Pakistani Punjab, it does not address any of the major issues between India and Pakistan.

WION: What do you make of trade relations between China and Pakistan and Belt and Road Initiative(BRI). Where do you think it is headed?

Husain Haqqani: BRI for Pakistan could have worked if it had also involved other countries in the region, though it has been talked about but it is not the case. The road initiative is now creating a corridor in which Pakistan is becoming more dependent on China than ever.

A huge amount of Chinese investment and lending will create a debt trap for Pakistan including several parts of like Baluchistan, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan. These are terrorities where people feel resentful since they feel Chinese investment will not provide any jobs to the locals and it will only facilitate the Pakistani state and China but nothing for the people.

WION: What are your thoughts on 100 days of PM Imran Khan's tenure?

Husain Haqqani: Imran Khan's government has been the most disappointing in recent Pakistani history. It is a civilian government which is more dependent on Pakistan military, the mantra in Pakistan is that the military and civilian government are on the same page but in reality&nbsp;the civilian government has accepted subservience to the military.&nbsp;

The government has not been able to address the economic issues and all we have is Imran Khan's status as a cricket celebrity that is supposed to make the people of Pakistan feel good. There are too many fronts which have been&nbsp;opened, Pakistan's isolation has not been broken and Pakistan's economy has not been fixed, all that has been done is more borrowing and more begging from other nations.

WION: And what about 'Naya(new) Pakistan' then?

Husain Haqqani: Naya Pakistan is nothing but purana(old) Pakistan led by a cricket celebrity who claims to bring a clean government but there&nbsp;are questions being asked now about how clean that government really is!

The real naya Pakistan would be at peace with itself and with its neighbours, also which respects the Sindhis, the Baloch, the Muhajirs, the residents of Gilgit-Baltistan. It would be a country where there are opportunities within and it does not completely depend either on the US or China and lives within its own resources and is not heavily militarised.

Former Pakistani diplomat Husain Haqqani has had a successful career serving as Pakistan's ambassador to the US during President Bush's administration. In his early years, he served both Nawaz Sharif and former PM Benazir Bhutto during the tumultuous period in the late 80s and early 90s.

Former Pakistani diplomat Husain Haqqani has had a successful career serving as Pakistan's ambassador to the US during President Bush's administration. In his early years, he served both Nawaz Sharif and former PM Benazir Bhutto during the tumultuous period in the late 80s and early 90s. Now an expert on South Asian affairs, he is also a prolific writer, part-time journalist and academic. Haqqani is currently in India. He spoke exclusively to WION on India-Pakistan relations, the Kartarpur corridor, China's Belt and Road Initiative with Pak and Imran Khan's 'Naya Pakistan'. WION: How do you view the current relations between India and Pakistan? Husain Haqqani: India and Pakistan relations are at a stalemate. India wants terrorism to be resolved, it also wants justice for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Pakistan, on the other hand, wants to normalise relations without addressing any of these concerns. Pakistan's definition of normalisation is not the same as India's definition of normalisation of relations. Ideally, India and Pakistan should have the kind of relations which the United States and Canada have, also like Franco-German relations. WION: Then what kind of template do you see for India-Pakistan relations? Husain Haqqani: India and Pakistan are neighbours and they will always be neighbours, until 1947, India and Pakistan had the same currency, the same communications network, the same railway network. It was the most integrated region in the world, now it is the least integrated. The template for India and Pakistan should be in which we are two countries and we respect each other's sovereignty but we have open borders and a large amount of trade with each other and lot of travel basically not looking upon each other as enemies. WION: On the question of terrorism, how can the stalemate be broken? Husain Haqqani: Pakistan is hoping the terrorism issue will just fall by the wayside, everyone will forget about it and new things will start coming. India, of course, does not accept it. India wants those who were involved in the Mumbai attacks either punished or identified and there is some kind of acknowledgement that terrorism in India was supported by the Pakistan state and at least tolerated by the Pakistan state. People like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar whose involvement in terrorism has been acknowledged by the international community should not be allowed to roam freely in Pakistan. WION: How do you view the Kartarpur corridor and its impact on India-Pak relations? Husain Haqqani: All openings in the relations between India and Pakistan must be welcomed but the Kartarpur corridor is simply a very limited effort to facilitate the movement of pilgrims from Indian Punjab to Pakistani Punjab, it does not address any of the major issues between India and Pakistan. WION: What do you make of trade relations between China and Pakistan and Belt and Road Initiative(BRI). Where do you think it is headed? Husain Haqqani: BRI for Pakistan could have worked if it had also involved other countries in the region, though it has been talked about but it is not the case. The road initiative is now creating a corridor in which Pakistan is becoming more dependent on China than ever. A huge amount of Chinese investment and lending will create a debt trap for Pakistan including several parts of like Baluchistan, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan. These are terrorities where people feel resentful since they feel Chinese investment will not provide any jobs to the locals and it will only facilitate the Pakistani state and China but nothing for the people. WION: What are your thoughts on 100 days of PM Imran Khan's tenure? Husain Haqqani: Imran Khan's government has been the most disappointing in recent Pakistani history. It is a civilian government which is more dependent on Pakistan military, the mantra in Pakistan is that the military and civilian government are on the same page but in reality the civilian government has accepted subservience to the military. The government has not been able to address the economic issues and all we have is Imran Khan's status as a cricket celebrity that is supposed to make the people of Pakistan feel good. There are too many fronts which have been opened, Pakistan's isolation has not been broken and Pakistan's economy has not been fixed, all that has been done is more borrowing and more begging from other nations. WION: And what about 'Naya(new) Pakistan' then? Husain Haqqani: Naya Pakistan is nothing but purana(old) Pakistan led by a cricket celebrity who claims to bring a clean government but there are questions being asked now about how clean that government really is! The real naya Pakistan would be at peace with itself and with its neighbours, also which respects the Sindhis, the Baloch, the Muhajirs, the residents of Gilgit-Baltistan. It would be a country where there are opportunities within and it does not completely depend either on the US or China and lives within its own resources and is not heavily militarised.

Imran Khan government most disappointing in Pakistan's recent history: Ex-diplomat Husain Haqqani to WION

26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed pens column in Pak newspaper

India will not 'forgive or forget' Hazif Saeed: Syed Akbaruddin

India's permanent representative at the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin here on Tuesday said that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed is somebody whom India will never forgive for his "imminent role" in the deadly terror attacks that took place in Mumbai on November 26, 2011.

Akbaruddin also added that only justice waits for the evil mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind.

"Hafiz Saeed is somebody India will never forgive or forget. What waits for him is justice. You can be certain, sometime or the other, justice will be met," Akbaruddin said in his statement.

"We will never forget his role as the evil mastermind of what happened in Mumbai," Akbaruddin added.

India has provided a number of dossiers of evidence, maintaining that the bilateral relations cannot improve until Pakistan punishes all those involved in the crime.

India has particularly been pushing for action against Saeed, who is roaming freely in Pakistan despite being declared an international terrorist.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government at the Centre has emphasised that terror and talks cannot go together.&nbsp;

India's permanent representative at the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin here on Tuesday said that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed is somebody whom India will never forgive for his "imminent role" in the deadly terror attacks that took place in Mumbai on November 26, 2011.

India's permanent representative at the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin here on Tuesday said that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed is somebody whom India will never forgive for his "imminent role" in the deadly terror attacks that took place in Mumbai on November 26, 2011. Akbaruddin also added that only justice waits for the evil mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind. "Hafiz Saeed is somebody India will never forgive or forget. What waits for him is justice. You can be certain, sometime or the other, justice will be met," Akbaruddin said in his statement. "We will never forget his role as the evil mastermind of what happened in Mumbai," Akbaruddin added. India has provided a number of dossiers of evidence, maintaining that the bilateral relations cannot improve until Pakistan punishes all those involved in the crime. India has particularly been pushing for action against Saeed, who is roaming freely in Pakistan despite being declared an international terrorist. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government at the Centre has emphasised that terror and talks cannot go together.

India will never forgive Hafiz Saeed for his role in 26/11 Mumbai attacks: Syed Akbaruddin

Exposing Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's seriousness on combating terrorism, his junior interior minister has vowed to "protect" Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his party in a leaked video.

The leaked video showed Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi talking to the Milli Muslim League (MML) leaders and when his attention was drawn towards non-registration of Saeed's party by the Election Commission (ECP) as a political party due to the US pressure and the ECP's plan to declare it a terrorist organisation, the minister said: "We will not let this happen."

"As long as we (the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf) are in the government all those including Hafiz Saeed who are raising voice for Pakistan and righteousness, we are with them," Afridi said, adding "this is our belief." 
"I request you to come to the National Assembly and see whether we are supporting those who on the right path or not," he told them.&nbsp;

Saeed was declared a global terrorist by the US and the UN after the 2008 Mumbai attack and was put under house arrest in November 2008 but freed by a court some months later. He carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.

In the leaked video, an MML leader said the high court ordered the ECP to register the MML as a political party but the top election body said that it had come to know that the US had declared MML a terrorist organisation. 
On this, the minister assured that "this will not happen in the Imran Khan's government."

Saeed launched the MML in August 2017 with a so-called mission to implement the ideology of Pakistan in accordance with the 1973 Constitution.

In April, the US placed the MML on its list of foreign terror organisations for its links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The interior ministry had written to the ECP recommending not to register the MML as it is an off-shoot of Saeed's Jamat-ud Dawah, which has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people.

The MML contested general elections on the platform of the "dormant" political entity Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek (AAT), which was registered with the ECP.

The Supreme Court in September last permitted the JuD and its arm Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) to continue their relief and charity work in the country.

JuD's network includes 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance services. The JuD and FIF alone have about 50,000 volunteers and hundreds of other paid workers, according to two counter-terrorism officials

Earlier, the government banned companies and individuals from making donations to the JuD, the FIF, and other organisations on the UN Security Council sanctions list.&nbsp;

Exposing Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's seriousness on combating terrorism, his junior interior minister has vowed to "protect" Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his party in a leaked video.

Exposing Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's seriousness on combating terrorism, his junior interior minister has vowed to "protect" Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his party in a leaked video. The leaked video showed Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi talking to the Milli Muslim League (MML) leaders and when his attention was drawn towards non-registration of Saeed's party by the Election Commission (ECP) as a political party due to the US pressure and the ECP's plan to declare it a terrorist organisation, the minister said: "We will not let this happen." "As long as we (the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf) are in the government all those including Hafiz Saeed who are raising voice for Pakistan and righteousness, we are with them," Afridi said, adding "this is our belief." "I request you to come to the National Assembly and see whether we are supporting those who on the right path or not," he told them. Saeed was declared a global terrorist by the US and the UN after the 2008 Mumbai attack and was put under house arrest in November 2008 but freed by a court some months later. He carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities. In the leaked video, an MML leader said the high court ordered the ECP to register the MML as a political party but the top election body said that it had come to know that the US had declared MML a terrorist organisation. On this, the minister assured that "this will not happen in the Imran Khan's government." Saeed launched the MML in August 2017 with a so-called mission to implement the ideology of Pakistan in accordance with the 1973 Constitution. In April, the US placed the MML on its list of foreign terror organisations for its links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba. The interior ministry had written to the ECP recommending not to register the MML as it is an off-shoot of Saeed's Jamat-ud Dawah, which has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. The MML contested general elections on the platform of the "dormant" political entity Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek (AAT), which was registered with the ECP. The Supreme Court in September last permitted the JuD and its arm Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) to continue their relief and charity work in the country. JuD's network includes 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance services. The JuD and FIF alone have about 50,000 volunteers and hundreds of other paid workers, according to two counter-terrorism officials Earlier, the government banned companies and individuals from making donations to the JuD, the FIF, and other organisations on the UN Security Council sanctions list.

Leaked video shows Pak minister vowing to 'protect' Hafiz Saeed

Ten years ago on this day, Mumbai came to a standstill after 10 heavily-armed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists carried out coordinated attacks at six locations across the city.

The string of incidents, commonly referred to as 26/11 attacks, spanned across four days, during which 166 people were killed and over 300 injured. Recalling the dreadful night, a survivor of the ghastly attack, Mohamed Taufiq Sheikh, appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure justice is served to the kin of the deceased.

He also appealed for action against Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, who is known as the mastermind of the attack.

Sheikh, who is popularly known as Chhotu the Chaiwalla, told ANI: "The mastermind of that attack Hafiz Saeed is roaming free in Pakistan. No action has been taken against him. I want to appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to further tighten the security. I was told that I will be given a job, but nothing has been done about it as yet. There are going to be various events today, but all those are of no use, it will be better if some monetary help can be given to the kin of the deceased."

In Nariman House business and residential complex, one of the locations that was targeted by terrorists, a Rabbi, his wife, and six others, including five Israeli citizens, were killed after being held hostage.

The lone survivor of this attack was the two-year-old child of the Rabbi couple, Moshe, who later went on to become the face of innocent victims of ruthless terrorism.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-calls-on-pakistan-others-to-implement-unsc-sanctions-against-2611-perpetrators-179439">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-calls-on-pakistan-others-to-implement-unsc-sanctions-against-2611-perpetrators-179439"> calls on Pakistan, others to implement UNSC sanctions against 26/11 perpetrators</a>

In July 2017, Prime Minister Modi had met Moshe during his visit to Israel. Later, in January 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also met the 26/11 survivor in Mumbai during his visit to India.

Addressing the media in Mumbai on Sunday, Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky said Nariman House has been revamped to bring back the positivity that the building stood for prior to the attacks.

"All the five floors shall be used for a specific purpose so that all the visitors who come to see the building could get a positive message about how light of positivity and hope triumphs over the negative darkness of terror and trauma. The fear of death which had mounted over all those shot dead and other hostages that night is something which only they could narrate. The world as not yet come to peace and terrorism via different means is still looming over all of us. The building should not be left with a simple bad memory but instead we should get over it and so for this cause we have decided to dedicate the upper floors of the building so that all those visitors who come to see the spot get inspired by virtues of humanity and they become harbinger of hope," he noted.

Elaborating further upon the structure and interiors of the building, he added: "The upper floors shall be used to show people how Jewish way of life. All the visitors shall see about the life of deceased Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his family before they were massacred. The entire theme is white on all household items and the prominent displays will be Holtzberg's son Moshe's room, kitchen, bedroom, living room, apartment, entrance, hallway library, and common room."

After the attack, it was established that the 10 terrorists had sailed to Mumbai from Pakistan's port city, Karachi. Their voyage to Mumbai involved hijacking fishing dingy and killing four of the five men crew, leaving one occupant to ferry them to Mumbai coast.

In these gruesome attacks, nine terrorists were killed while Ajmal Amir Kasab was nabbed by security forces and sent to Yerwada Central Jail in Pune. In August 2012, Kasab was awarded a death sentence, and hanged till death three months later.

The Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) is believed to have plotted the 26/11 attacks. However, its mastermind, Hafiz Saeed, has been roaming freely in Pakistan.&nbsp;

Ten years ago on this day, Mumbai came to a standstill after 10 heavily-armed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists carried out coordinated attacks at six locations across the city.

Ten years ago on this day, Mumbai came to a standstill after 10 heavily-armed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists carried out coordinated attacks at six locations across the city. The string of incidents, commonly referred to as 26/11 attacks, spanned across four days, during which 166 people were killed and over 300 injured. Recalling the dreadful night, a survivor of the ghastly attack, Mohamed Taufiq Sheikh, appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure justice is served to the kin of the deceased. He also appealed for action against Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, who is known as the mastermind of the attack. Sheikh, who is popularly known as Chhotu the Chaiwalla, told ANI: "The mastermind of that attack Hafiz Saeed is roaming free in Pakistan. No action has been taken against him. I want to appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to further tighten the security. I was told that I will be given a job, but nothing has been done about it as yet. There are going to be various events today, but all those are of no use, it will be better if some monetary help can be given to the kin of the deceased." In Nariman House business and residential complex, one of the locations that was targeted by terrorists, a Rabbi, his wife, and six others, including five Israeli citizens, were killed after being held hostage. The lone survivor of this attack was the two-year-old child of the Rabbi couple, Moshe, who later went on to become the face of innocent victims of ruthless terrorism. Also read: US calls on Pakistan, others to implement UNSC sanctions against 26/11 perpetrators In July 2017, Prime Minister Modi had met Moshe during his visit to Israel. Later, in January 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also met the 26/11 survivor in Mumbai during his visit to India. Addressing the media in Mumbai on Sunday, Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky said Nariman House has been revamped to bring back the positivity that the building stood for prior to the attacks. "All the five floors shall be used for a specific purpose so that all the visitors who come to see the building could get a positive message about how light of positivity and hope triumphs over the negative darkness of terror and trauma. The fear of death which had mounted over all those shot dead and other hostages that night is something which only they could narrate. The world as not yet come to peace and terrorism via different means is still looming over all of us. The building should not be left with a simple bad memory but instead we should get over it and so for this cause we have decided to dedicate the upper floors of the building so that all those visitors who come to see the spot get inspired by virtues of humanity and they become harbinger of hope," he noted. Elaborating further upon the structure and interiors of the building, he added: "The upper floors shall be used to show people how Jewish way of life. All the visitors shall see about the life of deceased Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his family before they were massacred. The entire theme is white on all household items and the prominent displays will be Holtzberg's son Moshe's room, kitchen, bedroom, living room, apartment, entrance, hallway library, and common room." After the attack, it was established that the 10 terrorists had sailed to Mumbai from Pakistan's port city, Karachi. Their voyage to Mumbai involved hijacking fishing dingy and killing four of the five men crew, leaving one occupant to ferry them to Mumbai coast. In these gruesome attacks, nine terrorists were killed while Ajmal Amir Kasab was nabbed by security forces and sent to Yerwada Central Jail in Pune. In August 2012, Kasab was awarded a death sentence, and hanged till death three months later. The Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) is believed to have plotted the 26/11 attacks. However, its mastermind, Hafiz Saeed, has been roaming freely in Pakistan.

Appeal for action against 26/11 mastermind: Survivor recalls terror of Mumbai attacks

In pictures: 10 years of 26/11, how 2008 Mumbai terror attacks happened

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court has issued non-bailable warrants against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudeen in connection with Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case.

The probe agency charged the two with offences under Section 120B, 121 and 121A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The NIA approached the court for issuing non-bailable warrants against the two for their active involvement in terror funding for creating unrest in the Kashmir valley and other parts of India.

"They mobilised Pakistan trained terrorists and pushed them into India from Pakistan in connivance with secessionist and separatist leaders for waging war against Government of India with the nefarious design of seceding Jammu and Kashmir from Union of India," read the statement issued by the NIA.

The probe agency said that they have already filed charge sheet in the instant case on January 18 against 12 accused persons, including Saeed and Salahudeen.

Further investigation in the matter is underway.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court has issued non-bailable warrants against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudeen in connection with Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court has issued non-bailable warrants against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudeen in connection with Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. The probe agency charged the two with offences under Section 120B, 121 and 121A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The NIA approached the court for issuing non-bailable warrants against the two for their active involvement in terror funding for creating unrest in the Kashmir valley and other parts of India. "They mobilised Pakistan trained terrorists and pushed them into India from Pakistan in connivance with secessionist and separatist leaders for waging war against Government of India with the nefarious design of seceding Jammu and Kashmir from Union of India," read the statement issued by the NIA. The probe agency said that they have already filed charge sheet in the instant case on January 18 against 12 accused persons, including Saeed and Salahudeen. Further investigation in the matter is underway.

NIA court issues non-bailable warrants against Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin

A report by the Indian think tank Strategic Foresight Group (SFG) and Oxford University says&nbsp;there is the possibility that Mumbai terror attack mastermind and terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed could in the near future become Pakistan's prime minister.

The report,&nbsp;titled 'Humanity at Risk-Global Terror Threat Indicant', came up with the hypothetical scenario post-2020. It predicted that the dominance of terrorists and extremists could lead to attacks targeting India's political and financial systems with the "open support of the Pakistan military".&nbsp;

The report also predicted that extremist and religious political parties in Pakistan would become increasingly popular.

"Extremist and religious political parties in Pakistan (are) become increasingly popular. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is able to build its party infrastructure and contest the federal elections successfully in alliance with other extremist groups and active unofficial support from the military. Pakistan [could] then elect Hafiz Saeed as the head of government," the report&nbsp;mentioned.

The report also placed Pakistan at the top of the list of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-responsible-for-three-times-the-terror-risk-to-humanity-than-syria-report-173753">countries that pose a threat</a> to "humanity" and "global peace".&nbsp;

The report goes on to warn about the threat of a full-scale war between India and Pakistan following Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks.

"LeT is able to build its party infrastructure and contest the federal elections successfully, in alliance with other extremist groups and active unofficial support from the military. Pakistan then elects LeT founder Hafiz Saeed as the head of government," it said.&nbsp;

The study also predicted that eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan, the two relatively lawless border areas between the two countries, could become a single breakaway Taliban state.&nbsp;

The report also predicted that al-Qaida would gain a foothold by co-opting other separatist and ethnic movements in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Thailand.&nbsp;

"The US summarily exits Afghanistan and Iraq under the leadership of a right-wing president inaugurated in January 2029, throwing those countries into major chaos. China's involvement in Afghanistan, specifically the attempt to play interlocutor with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, backfires. Incensed Pakistani and Afghan terror groups incite violence within China, thereby emboldening Uighur militants to launch a major attack in Beijing or Shanghai," the report said.

'Global Terror Threat Indicant' (GTTI) concludes that LeT and JeM are greater threats to humanity than the Islamic State/Daesh. 
&nbsp;

A report by the Indian think tank Strategic Foresight Group (SFG) and Oxford University says there is the possibility that Mumbai terror attack mastermind and terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed could in the near future become Pakistan's prime minister.

A report by the Indian think tank Strategic Foresight Group (SFG) and Oxford University says there is the possibility that Mumbai terror attack mastermind and terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed could in the near future become Pakistan's prime minister. The report, titled 'Humanity at Risk-Global Terror Threat Indicant', came up with the hypothetical scenario post-2020. It predicted that the dominance of terrorists and extremists could lead to attacks targeting India's political and financial systems with the "open support of the Pakistan military". The report also predicted that extremist and religious political parties in Pakistan would become increasingly popular. "Extremist and religious political parties in Pakistan (are) become increasingly popular. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is able to build its party infrastructure and contest the federal elections successfully in alliance with other extremist groups and active unofficial support from the military. Pakistan [could] then elect Hafiz Saeed as the head of government," the report mentioned. The report also placed Pakistan at the top of the list of countries that pose a threat to "humanity" and "global peace". The report goes on to warn about the threat of a full-scale war between India and Pakistan following Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks. "LeT is able to build its party infrastructure and contest the federal elections successfully, in alliance with other extremist groups and active unofficial support from the military. Pakistan then elects LeT founder Hafiz Saeed as the head of government," it said. The study also predicted that eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan, the two relatively lawless border areas between the two countries, could become a single breakaway Taliban state. The report also predicted that al-Qaida would gain a foothold by co-opting other separatist and ethnic movements in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Thailand. "The US summarily exits Afghanistan and Iraq under the leadership of a right-wing president inaugurated in January 2029, throwing those countries into major chaos. China's involvement in Afghanistan, specifically the attempt to play interlocutor with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, backfires. Incensed Pakistani and Afghan terror groups incite violence within China, thereby emboldening Uighur militants to launch a major attack in Beijing or Shanghai," the report said. 'Global Terror Threat Indicant' (GTTI) concludes that LeT and JeM are greater threats to humanity than the Islamic State/Daesh.

'Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed could become Pakistan PM'

Hafiz Saeed's lawyer has told a Pakistan court that the presidential order on banning the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) has lapsed placing it outside the list of banned outfits.

Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority has said JuD &amp; FIF are "organisations under watch".

The Imran Khan-led Pakistan government will have to get a new ordinance made since the ordinance expires in 120 days. It can be renewed for another 120 days and then will have either to be made law or scrapped.

There are 66 organisations including FiF and JuD which are not banned anymore under the new circumstances.

On February 10th, during the tenure of interim Pakistan government, ex-president Hussain had promulgated an ordinance to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 to place JuD and FIF in the act, however, Saeed's counsel informed that PM Imran's government had not extended the ordinance nor tabled it in Parliament to convert it into an act.

India blames Hafiz Saeed for masterminding the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. The United Nations Security Council had designated JuD as a terrorist organisation under resolution 1267 after the Mumbai attacks and it was banned by the Pakistan government in 2012.

In 2014, the US administration had added JuD in the global terrorist organisations' list.

Saeed lawyer told the Islamabad High Court that the ordinance was against the sovereignty and Constitution of Pakistan.

The government had taken over nearly 184 buildings, schools and hospitals belonging to the JuD and FIF after the presidential ordinance was signed. The government had also frozen the bank accounts of the two organisations.

The JuD had decided to launch a legal challenge against the ordinance.

The US, since 2012, has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Hafiz Saeed.

Hafiz Saeed's lawyer has told a Pakistan court that the presidential order on banning the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) has lapsed placing it outside the list of banned outfits.

Hafiz Saeed's lawyer has told a Pakistan court that the presidential order on banning the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) has lapsed placing it outside the list of banned outfits. Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority has said JuD & FIF are "organisations under watch". The Imran Khan-led Pakistan government will have to get a new ordinance made since the ordinance expires in 120 days. It can be renewed for another 120 days and then will have either to be made law or scrapped. There are 66 organisations including FiF and JuD which are not banned anymore under the new circumstances. On February 10th, during the tenure of interim Pakistan government, ex-president Hussain had promulgated an ordinance to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 to place JuD and FIF in the act, however, Saeed's counsel informed that PM Imran's government had not extended the ordinance nor tabled it in Parliament to convert it into an act. India blames Hafiz Saeed for masterminding the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. The United Nations Security Council had designated JuD as a terrorist organisation under resolution 1267 after the Mumbai attacks and it was banned by the Pakistan government in 2012. In 2014, the US administration had added JuD in the global terrorist organisations' list. Saeed lawyer told the Islamabad High Court that the ordinance was against the sovereignty and Constitution of Pakistan. The government had taken over nearly 184 buildings, schools and hospitals belonging to the JuD and FIF after the presidential ordinance was signed. The government had also frozen the bank accounts of the two organisations. The JuD had decided to launch a legal challenge against the ordinance. The US, since 2012, has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Hafiz Saeed.

Hafiz Saeed's JuD no longer in banned list, Pak terror authority places outfit under 'watch list'

Pakistani militants of various stripes collectively won just under 10 per cent of the vote in the July 2018 parliamentary elections.&nbsp;

Some represented long-standing legal Islamist parties, others newly established groups or fronts for organisations that have been banned as terrorists by Pakistan and/or the United Nations and the United States.

The militants failed to secure a single seat in the national assembly but have maintained, if not increased, their ability to shape national debate and mainstream politics and societal attitudes. Their ability to field candidates in almost all constituencies, and, in many cases, their performance as debutants enhanced their legitimacy.

The militants’ performance has fueled debate about the Pakistani military’s effort to expand its long-standing support for militants that serve its regional and domestic goals to nudge them into mainstream politics. It also raises the question of who benefits most, mainstream politics or the militants. Political parties help mainstream militants, but militants with deep societal roots and significant following are frequently key to a mainstream candidate’s electoral success.

Perceptions that the militants may stand to gain the most are enhanced by the fact that decades of successive military and civilian governments, abetted and aided by Saudi Arabia, have deeply embedded ultra-conservative, intolerant, anti-pluralist, and supremacist strands of Sunni Islam in significant segments of Pakistani society.

Former international cricket player Imran Khan’s electoral victory may constitute a break with the country’s corrupt dynastic policies that ensured that civilian power alternated between two clans, the Bhuttos and the Sharifs. However, his alignment with ultra-conservatism’s social and religious views, as well as with militant groups, offers little hope for Pakistan becoming a more tolerant, pluralistic society, and moving away from a social environment that breeds extremism and militancy. On the contrary, policies enacted by Khan and his ministers since taking office suggest that ultra-conservatism and intolerance are the name of the game.

If anything, Khan’s political history, his 2018 election campaign, and his actions since coming to office reflect the degree to which aspects of militancy, intolerance, anti-pluralism, and supremacist ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim Islam have, over decades, been woven into the fabric of segments of society and elements of the state.

The roots of Pakistan’s extremism problem date to the immediate wake of the 1947 partition of British India when using militants as proxies was a way to compensate for Pakistan’s economic and military weakness.

They were entrenched by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the 1970s and General Zia ul-Haq’s Islamization of Pakistani society in the 1980s. The rise of Islamist militants in the US-Saudi supported the war against Soviet occupation troops in Afghanistan and opportunistic policies by politicians and rulers since then have shaped contemporary Pakistan.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

 
&nbsp;

Pakistani militants of various stripes collectively won just under 10 per cent of the vote in the July 2018 parliamentary elections. Some represented long-standing legal Islamist parties, others newly established groups or fronts for organisations that have been banned as terrorists by Pakistan and/or the United Nations and the United States.

Pakistani militants of various stripes collectively won just under 10 per cent of the vote in the July 2018 parliamentary elections. Some represented long-standing legal Islamist parties, others newly established groups or fronts for organisations that have been banned as terrorists by Pakistan and/or the United Nations and the United States. The militants failed to secure a single seat in the national assembly but have maintained, if not increased, their ability to shape national debate and mainstream politics and societal attitudes. Their ability to field candidates in almost all constituencies, and, in many cases, their performance as debutants enhanced their legitimacy. The militants’ performance has fueled debate about the Pakistani military’s effort to expand its long-standing support for militants that serve its regional and domestic goals to nudge them into mainstream politics. It also raises the question of who benefits most, mainstream politics or the militants. Political parties help mainstream militants, but militants with deep societal roots and significant following are frequently key to a mainstream candidate’s electoral success. Perceptions that the militants may stand to gain the most are enhanced by the fact that decades of successive military and civilian governments, abetted and aided by Saudi Arabia, have deeply embedded ultra-conservative, intolerant, anti-pluralist, and supremacist strands of Sunni Islam in significant segments of Pakistani society. Former international cricket player Imran Khan’s electoral victory may constitute a break with the country’s corrupt dynastic policies that ensured that civilian power alternated between two clans, the Bhuttos and the Sharifs. However, his alignment with ultra-conservatism’s social and religious views, as well as with militant groups, offers little hope for Pakistan becoming a more tolerant, pluralistic society, and moving away from a social environment that breeds extremism and militancy. On the contrary, policies enacted by Khan and his ministers since taking office suggest that ultra-conservatism and intolerance are the name of the game. If anything, Khan’s political history, his 2018 election campaign, and his actions since coming to office reflect the degree to which aspects of militancy, intolerance, anti-pluralism, and supremacist ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim Islam have, over decades, been woven into the fabric of segments of society and elements of the state. The roots of Pakistan’s extremism problem date to the immediate wake of the 1947 partition of British India when using militants as proxies was a way to compensate for Pakistan’s economic and military weakness. They were entrenched by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the 1970s and General Zia ul-Haq’s Islamization of Pakistani society in the 1980s. The rise of Islamist militants in the US-Saudi supported the war against Soviet occupation troops in Afghanistan and opportunistic policies by politicians and rulers since then have shaped contemporary Pakistan. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Pakistan and its militants: Who is mainstreaming whom?

Pakistan Cabinet minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri "should have been more sensitive" while sharing the dais with 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the country's foreign minister has said, acknowledging the mistake committed by his ministerial colleague this week.

"I will go home and certainly ask him why he did that. But what I am told it was an event to highlight the situation in Kashmir," Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a Washington audience on Wednesday when asked about Cabinet minister for religious affairs Qadri sharing a dais with Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Saeed at a meeting in Islamabad.

"It had nothing to do with Lashkar-e-Taiba. There were other political elements there. He happened to be one of them," Qureshi added.

"I think he (Qadri) should've been more sensitive, but it wasn't that he subscribes to his (Saeed's) point of view," the visiting Pakistani foreign minister said.

"Please explain why earlier this week on Monday, your government's federal minister of religious affairs appeared side by side at a public conference with the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organisation banned by Pakistan?" Qureshi was asked by a member in the audience at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded think tank.

Qadri was seen seated near Saeed as he addressed an All Parties Conference organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council on Sunday in Islamabad.

A banner in the background said the conference was in "defence of Pakistan", and mentioned "Kashmir" as well as "threats from India". The Difa-e-Pakistan Council is a coalition of over 40 Pakistani political and religious parties that advocate conservative policies.

Qadri's presence at the event with Saeed vindicated India's stand that there is no change in Pakistan's attitude towards terrorism after Prime Minister Imran Khan assumed office in August.

Qureshi asserted that Pakistan is serious in the fight against terrorism. "We cannot surrender to terrorism. We will have to take them on and we will have to clear areas. We have successfully done that. Well it's a work in progress, we would have to continue to build on what you've achieved, but to a large extent, things have changed," he said, adding that this shift is not being recognised enough in the US.

"Cutting off training, not giving precision equipment that could've been used against terrorism, I don't know to what extent that'll help. In my view it will not help collectively," he said.

"Collectively we can achieve our shared objective. A blame game will not be productive," he said.&nbsp;

Pakistan Cabinet minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri "should have been more sensitive" while sharing the dais with 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the country's foreign minister has said, acknowledging the mistake committed by his ministerial colleague this week.

Pakistan Cabinet minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri "should have been more sensitive" while sharing the dais with 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the country's foreign minister has said, acknowledging the mistake committed by his ministerial colleague this week. "I will go home and certainly ask him why he did that. But what I am told it was an event to highlight the situation in Kashmir," Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a Washington audience on Wednesday when asked about Cabinet minister for religious affairs Qadri sharing a dais with Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Saeed at a meeting in Islamabad. "It had nothing to do with Lashkar-e-Taiba. There were other political elements there. He happened to be one of them," Qureshi added. "I think he (Qadri) should've been more sensitive, but it wasn't that he subscribes to his (Saeed's) point of view," the visiting Pakistani foreign minister said. "Please explain why earlier this week on Monday, your government's federal minister of religious affairs appeared side by side at a public conference with the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organisation banned by Pakistan?" Qureshi was asked by a member in the audience at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded think tank. Qadri was seen seated near Saeed as he addressed an All Parties Conference organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council on Sunday in Islamabad. A banner in the background said the conference was in "defence of Pakistan", and mentioned "Kashmir" as well as "threats from India". The Difa-e-Pakistan Council is a coalition of over 40 Pakistani political and religious parties that advocate conservative policies. Qadri's presence at the event with Saeed vindicated India's stand that there is no change in Pakistan's attitude towards terrorism after Prime Minister Imran Khan assumed office in August. Qureshi asserted that Pakistan is serious in the fight against terrorism. "We cannot surrender to terrorism. We will have to take them on and we will have to clear areas. We have successfully done that. Well it's a work in progress, we would have to continue to build on what you've achieved, but to a large extent, things have changed," he said, adding that this shift is not being recognised enough in the US. "Cutting off training, not giving precision equipment that could've been used against terrorism, I don't know to what extent that'll help. In my view it will not help collectively," he said. "Collectively we can achieve our shared objective. A blame game will not be productive," he said.

Pak minister should have been more sensitive in sharing dais with Hafiz Saeed: Shah Mehmood Qureshi

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan's cabinet minister, Noor Ul Haq Qadri, was spotted sharing the stage with Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on Sunday at an event in Islamabad.

According to reports, Qadri, who is the Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony in Imran Khan's government, was seen seated at the stage where terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed was also sitting.&nbsp;

The incident has raised questions on the Imran Khan-led government's commitment towards resolving Indo-Pak ties and clamming down on terrorism.&nbsp;

The incident comes shortly after Union External Affairs Minister, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sushma-swaraj-exposes-pakistans-duplicity-terror-unga-168464">Sushma Swaraj, exposed Pakistan's duplicity on terror</a> at the United Nations on Saturday.

At the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Saturday, Swaraj said, "Our neighbour's expertise is not restricted to spawning grounds for terrorism; it is also an expert in trying to mask malevolence with verbal duplicity."

Swaraj lashed out at Islamabad for abetting and aiding terrorist and terrorist groups.&nbsp;

"Pakistan's commitment to terrorism as an instrument of official policy has not abated one bit," she added.

Pakistani PM Imran Khan had sought a meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Qureshi on the sidelines of UNGA. India had initially agreed to the talks but declined over the recent killing of jawans at the border.&nbsp;

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan's cabinet minister, Noor Ul Haq Qadri, was spotted sharing the stage with Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on Sunday at an event in Islamabad.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan's cabinet minister, Noor Ul Haq Qadri, was spotted sharing the stage with Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on Sunday at an event in Islamabad. According to reports, Qadri, who is the Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony in Imran Khan's government, was seen seated at the stage where terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed was also sitting. The incident has raised questions on the Imran Khan-led government's commitment towards resolving Indo-Pak ties and clamming down on terrorism. The incident comes shortly after Union External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, exposed Pakistan's duplicity on terror at the United Nations on Saturday. At the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Saturday, Swaraj said, "Our neighbour's expertise is not restricted to spawning grounds for terrorism; it is also an expert in trying to mask malevolence with verbal duplicity." Swaraj lashed out at Islamabad for abetting and aiding terrorist and terrorist groups. "Pakistan's commitment to terrorism as an instrument of official policy has not abated one bit," she added. Pakistani PM Imran Khan had sought a meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Qureshi on the sidelines of UNGA. India had initially agreed to the talks but declined over the recent killing of jawans at the border.

After Swaraj lashes out at Pak, Imran Khan's minister spotted sharing stage with Hafiz Saeed

Hafiz Saeed-linked Milli Muslim League has decided to use the platform of a little-known party to contest the upcoming general election, a day after Pakistan's poll panel rejected for a second time an application by the MML, an offshoot of the Mumbai attack mastermind's banned Jamat-ud-Dawah, to register it as a political party.

Around 200 candidates backed by the MML will contest the July 25 election under the banner of the Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek (AAT), which is already registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the Express Tribune reported.

The decision was taken after the ECP again dismissed the MML's application for registration on Wednesday.

The MML has announced that candidates backed by the party will be participating from the platform of the AAT if higher courts do not rule in their favour before the election. The AAT is listed at number 10 in the ECP's list of approved parties.

The AAT, a little-known party, is headed by Mian Ihsan Bari from Bahawalpur. The party has already been allotted the 'chair' as an election symbol by the ECP.

A four-member ECP bench dismissed the MML application on basis of an interior ministry report that said the party followed the ideology of JuD chief Saeed. 
An office bearer of the group alleged that the interior ministry in its letter to the ECP falsely claimed that Saifullah Khalid, the MML president, is a son-in-law of Saeed. "In fact, they are not even distant relatives," he said.

"The interior ministry requested the ECP to keep its letter secret, however, this has been told to our lawyer by one of the members of the bench," he added.

MML spokesman Tabish Qayum said his party will challenge the ECP's decision in the higher courts. He said a case about the party's registration is already pending with the Islamabad High Court.

During the hearing, MML counsel Rizwan Abbasi said the federal government could not oppose registration of any political party. "No one can predict if a political party will affiliate with banned outfits in the future," he said.

The government through a presidential ordinance has said that any individual or organisation which has been declared proscribed by the UN would be deemed as a banned outfit in the country.

The MML was formed in August last year. The group, however, denies any link to LeT or any other banned outfit even though Saeed was already campaigning for the MML since last month.

Around 200 candidates backed by the MML will contest the July 25 election under the banner of the Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek (AAT)

Hafiz Saeed-linked Milli Muslim League has decided to use the platform of a little-known party to contest the upcoming general election, a day after Pakistan's poll panel rejected for a second time an application by the MML, an offshoot of the Mumbai attack mastermind's banned Jamat-ud-Dawah, to register it as a political party. Around 200 candidates backed by the MML will contest the July 25 election under the banner of the Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek (AAT), which is already registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the Express Tribune reported. The decision was taken after the ECP again dismissed the MML's application for registration on Wednesday. The MML has announced that candidates backed by the party will be participating from the platform of the AAT if higher courts do not rule in their favour before the election. The AAT is listed at number 10 in the ECP's list of approved parties. The AAT, a little-known party, is headed by Mian Ihsan Bari from Bahawalpur. The party has already been allotted the 'chair' as an election symbol by the ECP. A four-member ECP bench dismissed the MML application on basis of an interior ministry report that said the party followed the ideology of JuD chief Saeed. An office bearer of the group alleged that the interior ministry in its letter to the ECP falsely claimed that Saifullah Khalid, the MML president, is a son-in-law of Saeed. "In fact, they are not even distant relatives," he said. "The interior ministry requested the ECP to keep its letter secret, however, this has been told to our lawyer by one of the members of the bench," he added. MML spokesman Tabish Qayum said his party will challenge the ECP's decision in the higher courts. He said a case about the party's registration is already pending with the Islamabad High Court. During the hearing, MML counsel Rizwan Abbasi said the federal government could not oppose registration of any political party. "No one can predict if a political party will affiliate with banned outfits in the future," he said. The government through a presidential ordinance has said that any individual or organisation which has been declared proscribed by the UN would be deemed as a banned outfit in the country. The MML was formed in August last year. The group, however, denies any link to LeT or any other banned outfit even though Saeed was already campaigning for the MML since last month.

Hafiz Saeed's Milli Muslim League to contest Pakistan polls under banner of Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek

Pakistan's Election Commission today rejected an application by the Milli Muslim League (MML), the political face of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD), to register it as a political party just weeks before national polls.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was asked by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to review its decision of last year through which it rejected MML's registration bid.

A four-member bench of the commission, chaired by its Sindh member Abdul Ghaffar Soomro, today decided against allowing the MML to be registered as a political party.

In its short order, the bench said that the decision had been taken in light of observations of the Ministry of Interior which had expressed its reservations because of the party's links with the banned JuD leader Saeed. 
The interior ministry had opposed enlisting of the MML as a political party, arguing that it is an offshoot of the banned JuD.

The MML, however, denied that it had any links with the JuD or that its chief, Saifuddin Khalid, had relations with Saeed.

It said that former ruling Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz and its leadership was behind rejection of application by ECP.

The MML was launched last August to contest the&nbsp;July 25&nbsp;elections.

Saeed was already campaigning for the MML since last month.

In April, the US designated the MML as a foreign terrorist organisation, saying the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) members make up MML's leadership and the so-called party openly displays Saeed's likeness in its election banners and literature.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.&nbsp;

Earlier, the first rejection of MML application by ECP was set aside by the Islamabad High Court in earlier this year.&nbsp;

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was asked by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to review its decision of last year through which it rejected MML's registration bid

Pakistan's Election Commission today rejected an application by the Milli Muslim League (MML), the political face of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD), to register it as a political party just weeks before national polls. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was asked by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to review its decision of last year through which it rejected MML's registration bid. A four-member bench of the commission, chaired by its Sindh member Abdul Ghaffar Soomro, today decided against allowing the MML to be registered as a political party. In its short order, the bench said that the decision had been taken in light of observations of the Ministry of Interior which had expressed its reservations because of the party's links with the banned JuD leader Saeed. The interior ministry had opposed enlisting of the MML as a political party, arguing that it is an offshoot of the banned JuD. The MML, however, denied that it had any links with the JuD or that its chief, Saifuddin Khalid, had relations with Saeed. It said that former ruling Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz and its leadership was behind rejection of application by ECP. The MML was launched last August to contest the July 25 elections. Saeed was already campaigning for the MML since last month. In April, the US designated the MML as a foreign terrorist organisation, saying the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) members make up MML's leadership and the so-called party openly displays Saeed's likeness in its election banners and literature. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice. Earlier, the first rejection of MML application by ECP was set aside by the Islamabad High Court in earlier this year.

Pakistan's EC rejects Hafiz Saeed's party's plea to register as political party

Hafiz Saeed's Jammat-ud-Dawah will be fielding more than 200 candidates in the July 25 general elections on national and provincial Assembly seats across the country even as Saeed himself has decided not to run for parliament.

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Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for the Lashkar-e- Taiba militant group that allegedly carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack, launched its political front Milli Muslim League (MML), but it has not been yet registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

With general elections approaching, the group decided to contest on the platform of a "dormant" political entity Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek (AAT) registered with the ECP.

The JuD activists and sympathisers have taken the nomination papers from the ECP and are fielding their candidates on the platform of the AAT.

"MML president Saifullah Khalid and AAT chief Ehsan Bari have agreed to field joint candidates on the platform of ATT in the upcoming elections. Under the seat adjustment agreement, the MML will field more than 200 educated candidates. They will contest the elections on the AAT's election symbol chair," Ahmad Nadeem, an MML spokesperson, told PTI today.

He said there are many political figures who have joined the MML and it has awarded them AAT tickets.

Asked if Saeed plans to run as a parliamentary candidate in this election, the spokesman said: "No ... Hafiz sahib has no such plans at the moment. The MML is taking part for the first time in the general elections and hopefully, we will make to the parliament."

To a question, if any "significant leader" of the JuD would contest the election, he said: "Our priority is that those joining us from other political parties or educated youths in respective constituencies be given AAT tickets." 
He said the AAT will launch its political campaign once its candidates file nomination papers.

"We are hopeful that the people will elect our candidates," he said.&nbsp;

It is believed that since the MML has hardly any chance to get registered with the ECP as the latter had announced the election schedule and issued election symbols, it had no other option but to contest the election on any 'dormant' entity like the AAT.

Earlier, MML president Saifullah Khalid had said: "We have decided to support the candidates of AAT in July 25 elections. We will play a role in the victory of those contesting on the symbol of a chair. To save Pakistan, patriotic people should be supported in the elections."

Khalid said the MML had been denied registration in the ECP for the last 11 months but will take part in the polls by supporting AAT candidates.&nbsp;The interior ministry had opposed enlisting of the MML as a political party arguing it's an offshoot of Saeed's JuD banned under a UN resolution.

The JuD formed MML at the time when Saeed was detained in Lahore. Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under the anti-terrorism act.

The JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The JuD chief also carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.&nbsp;

With general elections approaching, the group decided to contest on the platform of a "dormant" political entity Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek (AAT)

Hafiz Saeed's Jammat-ud-Dawah will be fielding more than 200 candidates in the July 25 general elections on national and provincial Assembly seats across the country even as Saeed himself has decided not to run for parliament. × Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for the Lashkar-e- Taiba militant group that allegedly carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack, launched its political front Milli Muslim League (MML), but it has not been yet registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). With general elections approaching, the group decided to contest on the platform of a "dormant" political entity Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek (AAT) registered with the ECP. The JuD activists and sympathisers have taken the nomination papers from the ECP and are fielding their candidates on the platform of the AAT. "MML president Saifullah Khalid and AAT chief Ehsan Bari have agreed to field joint candidates on the platform of ATT in the upcoming elections. Under the seat adjustment agreement, the MML will field more than 200 educated candidates. They will contest the elections on the AAT's election symbol chair," Ahmad Nadeem, an MML spokesperson, told PTI today. He said there are many political figures who have joined the MML and it has awarded them AAT tickets. Asked if Saeed plans to run as a parliamentary candidate in this election, the spokesman said: "No ... Hafiz sahib has no such plans at the moment. The MML is taking part for the first time in the general elections and hopefully, we will make to the parliament." To a question, if any "significant leader" of the JuD would contest the election, he said: "Our priority is that those joining us from other political parties or educated youths in respective constituencies be given AAT tickets." He said the AAT will launch its political campaign once its candidates file nomination papers. "We are hopeful that the people will elect our candidates," he said. It is believed that since the MML has hardly any chance to get registered with the ECP as the latter had announced the election schedule and issued election symbols, it had no other option but to contest the election on any 'dormant' entity like the AAT. Earlier, MML president Saifullah Khalid had said: "We have decided to support the candidates of AAT in July 25 elections. We will play a role in the victory of those contesting on the symbol of a chair. To save Pakistan, patriotic people should be supported in the elections." Khalid said the MML had been denied registration in the ECP for the last 11 months but will take part in the polls by supporting AAT candidates. The interior ministry had opposed enlisting of the MML as a political party arguing it's an offshoot of Saeed's JuD banned under a UN resolution. The JuD formed MML at the time when Saeed was detained in Lahore. Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under the anti-terrorism act. The JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The JuD chief also carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.

Now, Hafiz Saeed-led AAT to contest Pak polls; field 200 candidates

Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jammat-ud-Dawah will contest the July 25 general elections on the platform of Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek as the group's Milli Muslim League is yet to be registered as a political party, a senior member of the outfit said on Saturday.

Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for the Lashkar-e- Taiba militant group that carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack, launched its political front Milli Muslim League, but it has not been yet registered by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

With general elections approaching, the group has decided to contest on the platform of the "dormant" political entity Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek (AAT), which was registered in the ECP.

"It was a kind of dormant party registered by a citizen Ehsan. There are several such parties registered with the ECP and such an arrangement is made ahead of the general elections if any mainstream party or organisation faces any issue or complication," a member of the JuD told PTI.

"Since the Milli Muslim League (MML) fails to get registered with the ECP it is going for this arrangement (contesting the upcoming polls on AAT platform)," he said.

MML president Saifullah Khalid will make a formal announcement regarding this shortly, he added.

The AAT's election symbol is 'chair'.

"Now the JuD/MML candidates will contest on the 'chair' symbol across the country," the member said.

He said since the MML has hardly any chance to get registered with the ECP as it had announced the election schedule and issued election symbols, it had no other option but to contest the election on any 'dormant' entity like AAT or support the Mutahidda Majlis Amal (MMA), an alliance of mainstream religious parties of the country.

"But Saeed chose to contest independently," he said.

The MML has also confirmed contesting the July 25 election on the 'chair' symbol.

"We have decided to support the candidates of AAT in July 25 elections," MML President Saifullah Khalid told PTI.

"We will play a role in the victory of those contesting on the symbol of chair. To save Pakistan, patriotic people should be supported in the elections," he said.

Khalid said the MML had been denied registration in the ECP for the last 11 months but will take part in the polls by supporting the candidates of AAT.

"Meanwhile we will continue fighting our case (registration of MML) in the court and ECP," he added.

The MML president said over 350 political parties were registered with the ECP but there is objection regarding the MML.

"I ask the MML workers to get ready and make full preparations across the country to make the AAT candidates successful in the upcoming elections. We have to serve humanity and no one can stop us from our political struggle," he said.

Meanwhile, the MML has filed a contempt of court petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the ECP for using delaying tactics regarding its enlisting as a political party as per law. June 11 is fixed for the case hearing in the IHC.

The court in March had set aside the ECP order declining registration of the MML.

Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC bench had referred the matter to the ECP, directing the electoral body to pass a speaking order.

The MML had challenged the October 11 order of the ECP declining registration to the MML as a political party allegedly on the behest of the interior ministry.

The interior ministry had opposed enlisting of the MML as a political party arguing it's an offshoot of the Jamaatud Dawa of Hafiz Saeed banned under a UN resolution.

The JuD formed MML at the time when Saeed was detained in Lahore. Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under anti- terrorism act.

The JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The JuD chief also carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.&nbsp;

Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for the Lashkar-e- Taiba militant group that carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack, launched its political front Milli Muslim League, but it has not been yet registered by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)

Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Jammat-ud-Dawah will contest the July 25 general elections on the platform of Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek as the group's Milli Muslim League is yet to be registered as a political party, a senior member of the outfit said on Saturday. Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for the Lashkar-e- Taiba militant group that carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack, launched its political front Milli Muslim League, but it has not been yet registered by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). With general elections approaching, the group has decided to contest on the platform of the "dormant" political entity Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek (AAT), which was registered in the ECP. "It was a kind of dormant party registered by a citizen Ehsan. There are several such parties registered with the ECP and such an arrangement is made ahead of the general elections if any mainstream party or organisation faces any issue or complication," a member of the JuD told PTI. "Since the Milli Muslim League (MML) fails to get registered with the ECP it is going for this arrangement (contesting the upcoming polls on AAT platform)," he said. MML president Saifullah Khalid will make a formal announcement regarding this shortly, he added. The AAT's election symbol is 'chair'. "Now the JuD/MML candidates will contest on the 'chair' symbol across the country," the member said. He said since the MML has hardly any chance to get registered with the ECP as it had announced the election schedule and issued election symbols, it had no other option but to contest the election on any 'dormant' entity like AAT or support the Mutahidda Majlis Amal (MMA), an alliance of mainstream religious parties of the country. "But Saeed chose to contest independently," he said. The MML has also confirmed contesting the July 25 election on the 'chair' symbol. "We have decided to support the candidates of AAT in July 25 elections," MML President Saifullah Khalid told PTI. "We will play a role in the victory of those contesting on the symbol of chair. To save Pakistan, patriotic people should be supported in the elections," he said. Khalid said the MML had been denied registration in the ECP for the last 11 months but will take part in the polls by supporting the candidates of AAT. "Meanwhile we will continue fighting our case (registration of MML) in the court and ECP," he added. The MML president said over 350 political parties were registered with the ECP but there is objection regarding the MML. "I ask the MML workers to get ready and make full preparations across the country to make the AAT candidates successful in the upcoming elections. We have to serve humanity and no one can stop us from our political struggle," he said. Meanwhile, the MML has filed a contempt of court petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the ECP for using delaying tactics regarding its enlisting as a political party as per law. June 11 is fixed for the case hearing in the IHC. The court in March had set aside the ECP order declining registration of the MML. Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC bench had referred the matter to the ECP, directing the electoral body to pass a speaking order. The MML had challenged the October 11 order of the ECP declining registration to the MML as a political party allegedly on the behest of the interior ministry. The interior ministry had opposed enlisting of the MML as a political party arguing it's an offshoot of the Jamaatud Dawa of Hafiz Saeed banned under a UN resolution. The JuD formed MML at the time when Saeed was detained in Lahore. Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under anti- terrorism act. The JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The JuD chief also carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.

Hafiz Saeed's JuD to contest Pakistan general elections on AAT platform

A Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist has disclosed to the National Investigation Agency the details of the operations undertaken by him from Pakistan.

The terrorist, Zaibullah, also revealed that he was given "motivating talk" by LeT founder Hafiz Saeed.

"We can take weapons including pistols, AK 47s, grenade launchers and other arms. At two separate occasions, Hafeez Saeed and Zakir Oman Naqvi gave us an motivating talk. We were also given two months training in the snow," the LeT terrorist said under NIA interrogation.

"I was posted in Indian border area but the Indian Army fired and we had to return. We also went to Chatabata post, planted put mines on army's supply route, blasted the mines in which 2 Indian army jawans were killed," he added.

Zaibullah was captured on April 6. 
&nbsp

Zaibullah spilled the beans to the NIA during interrogation

A Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist has disclosed to the National Investigation Agency the details of the operations undertaken by him from Pakistan. The terrorist, Zaibullah, also revealed that he was given "motivating talk" by LeT founder Hafiz Saeed. "We can take weapons including pistols, AK 47s, grenade launchers and other arms. At two separate occasions, Hafeez Saeed and Zakir Oman Naqvi gave us an motivating talk. We were also given two months training in the snow," the LeT terrorist said under NIA interrogation. "I was posted in Indian border area but the Indian Army fired and we had to return. We also went to Chatabata post, planted put mines on army's supply route, blasted the mines in which 2 Indian army jawans were killed," he added. Zaibullah was captured on April 6.

Was given motivating talk by Hafiz Saeed: LeT terrorist to NIA

Recent remarks by several senior Pakistani officials suggest that Pakistan and China are groping with how to deal with globally designated Pakistani militant Hafiz Saeed as the South Asian nation gears up for elections expected in July and risks being next month put on an international terrorism finance and money laundering watchlist.

The Pakistani-Chinese dilemma stems from a China-backed Pakistani refusal to fully implement designations of Hafiz Saeed by the United Nations Security Council and the US Treasury.

The United States has put a $10 million bounty the head of Saeed, who is believed to lead the outlawed militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as well as Jamaat-ud-Dawa, an alleged LeT front, and is suspected of being the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people were killed.

Pakistan has repeatedly put Saeed under house arrest, only to release him on court orders that asserted that there was insufficient evidence against him. The government has half-heartedly sought to seize Jamaat-ud-Dawa assets and prevent it from collecting donations through its charity arm, Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation.

Pakistan's election commission has so far refused to register a political party established by Jamaat-ud-Dawa in advance of the elections. The refusal would not prevent party members from running as independents.

To reduce focus on Saeed, a senior aide to Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had asked Abbasi during a meeting on the sidelines of last month's Boao Forum to explore relocating Saeed to a Middle Eastern country.

"At a 35-minute meeting, at least 10 minutes of the discussion dealt with Saeed. The Chinese President was keen on pressing the Prime Minister to find an early solution to keep Saeed away from the limelight," a leading Indian daily quoted the aide as saying.

In separate remarks, Major General Asif Ghafoor - a spokesman for Pakistan's ISI - told another Indian newspaper that "anything (Saeed) does, other than violence, is good. There is a process in Pakistan for anyone to participate in politics. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has its rules and laws. If he (Saeed) fulfills all those requirements that is for the ECP to decide."

The divergent proposals to either remove Saeed from the limelight or mainstream him by integrating him into the political process are unlikely to satisfy either the United Nations or the United States.

They are also unlikely to prevent the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global financial watchdog that monitors the funding of political violence and money laundering, from next month putting Pakistan on its watchlist.

The FATF action could negatively affect the Pakistan economy. Pakistan risks downgrading by multilateral lenders such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as well as by international credit rating agencies Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch.

Xi's suggestion to Abbasi reflects Chinese ambivalence towards those Pakistani militants that both Islamabad and Beijing see as useful tools to keep India off balance. China protected Saeed from UN designation prior to the Mumbai attacks and has since prevented another Pakistani militant, Masood Azhar, from being designated by the Security Council.

At the same time, China refrained in February from shielding Pakistan from censorship by FATF.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson nonetheless argued at the time that "in recent years, Pakistan has made important progress in actively strengthening financial regulations to combat terror financing... China highly recognises that and hopes all relevant parties of the international community could arrive at an objective and fair conclusion on that."

Implementing Xi's proposal to remove Saeed from the limelight is easier said than done. It's hard to see what Middle Eastern nation would risk international criticism by granting Saeed asylum without tacit approval by the United States and/or the United Nations. By the same token, its unlikely that either would agree to the scheme.

Similarly, neither the UN nor the United States are likely to be persuaded by a belief within the Pakistani military that the best way of blunting militancy that has over the decades been woven into the fabric of significant segments of the armed forces, intelligence and society is by mainstreaming militants and integrating them into the political process.

Ousted Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif kicked up a storm when he earlier this month appeared to confirm the pervasiveness of militancy by suggesting that the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks had been supported by Pakistan.

"Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can't we complete the trial? It's unacceptable. This is exactly what we are struggling for. President Putin has said it. President Xi has said it. We could have already been at seven per cent growth (in GDP), but we are not," Sharif said.

The remarks by the Pakistani officials suggest that both Pakistan and China are attempting to square circles.

Pakistan needs to be seen as cracking down on militancy while considering the domestic influence of ultra-conservative religious groups as well as seemingly misguided beliefs that support for anti-Indian militants serves its purpose.

For its part, China's justification of its hardhanded crackdown in the north-western province of Xinjiang as a bid to counter jihadism and nationalism among, Uighurs, a Turkic people, is weakened by its reluctance to be equally firm in countering militants in Pakistan.

The problem for both countries is that 1 + 1 = 2, whichever way one looks at it.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Pakistan has repeatedly put Saeed under house arrest, only to release him on court orders that asserted that there was insufficient evidence against him.

Recent remarks by several senior Pakistani officials suggest that Pakistan and China are groping with how to deal with globally designated Pakistani militant Hafiz Saeed as the South Asian nation gears up for elections expected in July and risks being next month put on an international terrorism finance and money laundering watchlist. The Pakistani-Chinese dilemma stems from a China-backed Pakistani refusal to fully implement designations of Hafiz Saeed by the United Nations Security Council and the US Treasury. The United States has put a $10 million bounty the head of Saeed, who is believed to lead the outlawed militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as well as Jamaat-ud-Dawa, an alleged LeT front, and is suspected of being the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people were killed. Pakistan has repeatedly put Saeed under house arrest, only to release him on court orders that asserted that there was insufficient evidence against him. The government has half-heartedly sought to seize Jamaat-ud-Dawa assets and prevent it from collecting donations through its charity arm, Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation. Pakistan's election commission has so far refused to register a political party established by Jamaat-ud-Dawa in advance of the elections. The refusal would not prevent party members from running as independents. To reduce focus on Saeed, a senior aide to Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had asked Abbasi during a meeting on the sidelines of last month's Boao Forum to explore relocating Saeed to a Middle Eastern country. "At a 35-minute meeting, at least 10 minutes of the discussion dealt with Saeed. The Chinese President was keen on pressing the Prime Minister to find an early solution to keep Saeed away from the limelight," a leading Indian daily quoted the aide as saying. In separate remarks, Major General Asif Ghafoor - a spokesman for Pakistan's ISI - told another Indian newspaper that "anything (Saeed) does, other than violence, is good. There is a process in Pakistan for anyone to participate in politics. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has its rules and laws. If he (Saeed) fulfills all those requirements that is for the ECP to decide." The divergent proposals to either remove Saeed from the limelight or mainstream him by integrating him into the political process are unlikely to satisfy either the United Nations or the United States. They are also unlikely to prevent the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global financial watchdog that monitors the funding of political violence and money laundering, from next month putting Pakistan on its watchlist. The FATF action could negatively affect the Pakistan economy. Pakistan risks downgrading by multilateral lenders such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as well as by international credit rating agencies Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch. Xi's suggestion to Abbasi reflects Chinese ambivalence towards those Pakistani militants that both Islamabad and Beijing see as useful tools to keep India off balance. China protected Saeed from UN designation prior to the Mumbai attacks and has since prevented another Pakistani militant, Masood Azhar, from being designated by the Security Council. At the same time, China refrained in February from shielding Pakistan from censorship by FATF. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson nonetheless argued at the time that "in recent years, Pakistan has made important progress in actively strengthening financial regulations to combat terror financing... China highly recognises that and hopes all relevant parties of the international community could arrive at an objective and fair conclusion on that." Implementing Xi's proposal to remove Saeed from the limelight is easier said than done. It's hard to see what Middle Eastern nation would risk international criticism by granting Saeed asylum without tacit approval by the United States and/or the United Nations. By the same token, its unlikely that either would agree to the scheme. Similarly, neither the UN nor the United States are likely to be persuaded by a belief within the Pakistani military that the best way of blunting militancy that has over the decades been woven into the fabric of significant segments of the armed forces, intelligence and society is by mainstreaming militants and integrating them into the political process. Ousted Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif kicked up a storm when he earlier this month appeared to confirm the pervasiveness of militancy by suggesting that the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks had been supported by Pakistan. "Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can't we complete the trial? It's unacceptable. This is exactly what we are struggling for. President Putin has said it. President Xi has said it. We could have already been at seven per cent growth (in GDP), but we are not," Sharif said. The remarks by the Pakistani officials suggest that both Pakistan and China are attempting to square circles. Pakistan needs to be seen as cracking down on militancy while considering the domestic influence of ultra-conservative religious groups as well as seemingly misguided beliefs that support for anti-Indian militants serves its purpose. For its part, China's justification of its hardhanded crackdown in the north-western province of Xinjiang as a bid to counter jihadism and nationalism among, Uighurs, a Turkic people, is weakened by its reluctance to be equally firm in countering militants in Pakistan. The problem for both countries is that 1 + 1 = 2, whichever way one looks at it. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: What to do with Hafiz Saeed? Pakistan and China grope for ambiguity

China today dismissed as "shocking" and "baseless" a media report that President Xi Jinping has asked Pakistan to explore ways to relocate JuD chief Hafiz Saeed to a West Asian country amid mounting international pressure to act against him for his links with terror groups.

According to the report, a close aide of Pakistan Prime Minister said that Xi made the suggestion to Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during their meeting on the sidelines of the Boao Forum in China last month.

Reacting to it, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson's office today said the report that Xi has asked Abbasi to relocate the Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief to a West Asian country was "shocking and baseless".

"It is shocking and baseless that's all we can say," the official told PTI here.

Saeed carries a USD 10 million American bounty for his role in terror activities. He is the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six US nationals, were killed.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012.&nbsp

The report appeared in an Indian newspaper on Thursday. A Chinese foreign ministry called the report 'shocking' and 'baseless'

China today dismissed as "shocking" and "baseless" a media report that President Xi Jinping has asked Pakistan to explore ways to relocate JuD chief Hafiz Saeed to a West Asian country amid mounting international pressure to act against him for his links with terror groups. According to the report, a close aide of Pakistan Prime Minister said that Xi made the suggestion to Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during their meeting on the sidelines of the Boao Forum in China last month. Reacting to it, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson's office today said the report that Xi has asked Abbasi to relocate the Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief to a West Asian country was "shocking and baseless". "It is shocking and baseless that's all we can say," the official told PTI here. Saeed carries a USD 10 million American bounty for his role in terror activities. He is the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six US nationals, were killed. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012.

China denies report President Xi asked Pakistan to relocate Hafiz Saeed to West Asian country

The government of Pakistan's Punjab province has restored the security of Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed citing threats to his life, almost a month after it was withdrawn on the order of the Supreme Court.

"The policemen have been deployed again for the security of Hafiz Saeed on the order of (chief minister) Shahbaz Sharif's Punjab government," a senior official of the provincial government told PTI today. He said the decision was taken in the light of threats to the life of Saeed.

As the government restored Saeed's security, he has withdrawn a petition he had filed in the Lahore High Court to challenge the Punjab government's earlier decision to withdraw his security.

The Punjab government last month had withdrawn policemen deployed for the security of Saeed after the Supreme Court directed inspector-generals of Islamabad and all four provinces to take back security escorts from people who are not entitled to it.

The chief justice, however, later directed the top provincial police officials to ensure the provision of security to all those who face genuine security threats.

In the light of the Supreme Court order, the Punjab police have withdrawn as many as 4,610 personnel deployed for the security of influential persons not entitled to official security in the province.

In a petition filed through his counsel Advocate A K Dogar, Saeed said the Punjab government on the pretext of the apex court order has withdrawn his security. He said the Supreme Court had ordered that the security of those facing life threats should not be withdrawn.

"But the government made a wrong interpretation of the Supreme Court order in my case and has withdrawn my security despite threats to my life," Saeed said.

The founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, who carries a USD 10 million American bounty for his role in terror activities, accused the government of discrimination in his case.

The JuD usually makes elaborate arrangements for the security of Saeed wherever he goes. Even at home, the JuD special squad has been given the task of his security.

Saeed is accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed. JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June, 2014.

As the government restored Saeed's security, he has withdrawn a petition he had filed in the Lahore High Court to challenge the Punjab government's earlier decision to withdraw his security

The government of Pakistan's Punjab province has restored the security of Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed citing threats to his life, almost a month after it was withdrawn on the order of the Supreme Court. "The policemen have been deployed again for the security of Hafiz Saeed on the order of (chief minister) Shahbaz Sharif's Punjab government," a senior official of the provincial government told PTI today. He said the decision was taken in the light of threats to the life of Saeed. As the government restored Saeed's security, he has withdrawn a petition he had filed in the Lahore High Court to challenge the Punjab government's earlier decision to withdraw his security. The Punjab government last month had withdrawn policemen deployed for the security of Saeed after the Supreme Court directed inspector-generals of Islamabad and all four provinces to take back security escorts from people who are not entitled to it. The chief justice, however, later directed the top provincial police officials to ensure the provision of security to all those who face genuine security threats. In the light of the Supreme Court order, the Punjab police have withdrawn as many as 4,610 personnel deployed for the security of influential persons not entitled to official security in the province. In a petition filed through his counsel Advocate A K Dogar, Saeed said the Punjab government on the pretext of the apex court order has withdrawn his security. He said the Supreme Court had ordered that the security of those facing life threats should not be withdrawn. "But the government made a wrong interpretation of the Supreme Court order in my case and has withdrawn my security despite threats to my life," Saeed said. The founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, who carries a USD 10 million American bounty for his role in terror activities, accused the government of discrimination in his case. The JuD usually makes elaborate arrangements for the security of Saeed wherever he goes. Even at home, the JuD special squad has been given the task of his security. Saeed is accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed. JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June, 2014.

Pakistan: Punjab government restores security of Mumbai attack mastermind Saeed

Pakistan`s military said it killed a senior member of an Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi(LeJ) and two would-be suicide bombers in a raid and later on Thursday five bombers who tried to mount a revenge suicide attack.

A senior military intelligence officer was killed and four other soldiers wounded during an operation targeting Salman Badeni, the Baluchistan regional chief of LeJ, on the outskirts of provincial capital Quetta late Wednesday, the army said.

The military said two would-be suicide bombers were also killed in the raid, but gave no details.

Hours later, five suicide bombers tried to drive a vehicle laden with ammunition and explosives into a military facility in the Quetta city on Thursday, the army said.&nbsp

Troops responded when one of the attackers detonated his explosive at the entrance, Khan Wasey, a local paramilitary spokesman said, and gunfire ensued.

All five attackers were killed, the army statement said, adding that the failed attempt was a response to the earlier military raid.

LeJ, a group which subscribes to the hardline Takfiri Deobandi school of Islam, considers Shi’ites apostates and has carried out scores of bomb and gun attacks in the southwestern province over the past two decades, most of them aimed at the Shi`ite Hazara community.

Badeni had been "involved in killings of over 100 innocent personnel of the Hazara community and police", the army said in its statement.

A&nbspLeJ spokesman, Ali bin Sufyian, said Badeni was not a member of the group. "He wasn`t our member," he said in a statement. He said the militant belonged to Islamic State.&nbsp

Islamic State, which operates from the lawless border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, has had worked in alliance with local militants such as the LeJ in several strikes in past.&nbsp

Islamic State did not immediately issue any statement claiming or disowning Badeni.&nbsp

Earlier this month members of the Hazara community went on a hunger strike in Quetta to protest against the spate of killings targeting them and to demand greater protection in the resource-rich province that has been plagued by violence and insurgency.

Over the past couple of years Islamic State militants have also targeted the Hazara community in Baluchistan.&nbsp

The Hazaras called off the protest after meeting with Pakistan`s powerful army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who vowed greater protection and promised those targeting Hazaras "shall suffer twice as much".

Bajwa said on Thursday the army was determined to "sacrifice anything and everything" to defend the country. "When a soldier sacrifices his life I lose part flesh of my body," he said at the funeral of the senior officer who died in the raid.

Violence in Baluchistan is a worry for China, which has voiced concerns about security in the province that hosts a key route in the $57-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a transport and energy link planned to run from western China to Pakistan`s southern deep-water port of Gwadar.

A senior military intelligence officer was killed and four other soldiers wounded during an operation targeting Salman Badeni, the Baluchistan regional chief of LeJ, on the outskirts of provincial capital Quetta late Wednesday, the army said

Pakistan`s military said it killed a senior member of an Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi(LeJ) and two would-be suicide bombers in a raid and later on Thursday five bombers who tried to mount a revenge suicide attack. A senior military intelligence officer was killed and four other soldiers wounded during an operation targeting Salman Badeni, the Baluchistan regional chief of LeJ, on the outskirts of provincial capital Quetta late Wednesday, the army said. The military said two would-be suicide bombers were also killed in the raid, but gave no details. Hours later, five suicide bombers tried to drive a vehicle laden with ammunition and explosives into a military facility in the Quetta city on Thursday, the army said. Troops responded when one of the attackers detonated his explosive at the entrance, Khan Wasey, a local paramilitary spokesman said, and gunfire ensued. All five attackers were killed, the army statement said, adding that the failed attempt was a response to the earlier military raid. LeJ, a group which subscribes to the hardline Takfiri Deobandi school of Islam, considers Shi’ites apostates and has carried out scores of bomb and gun attacks in the southwestern province over the past two decades, most of them aimed at the Shi`ite Hazara community. Badeni had been "involved in killings of over 100 innocent personnel of the Hazara community and police", the army said in its statement. A&nbspLeJ spokesman, Ali bin Sufyian, said Badeni was not a member of the group. "He wasn`t our member," he said in a statement. He said the militant belonged to Islamic State. Islamic State, which operates from the lawless border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, has had worked in alliance with local militants such as the LeJ in several strikes in past. Islamic State did not immediately issue any statement claiming or disowning Badeni. Earlier this month members of the Hazara community went on a hunger strike in Quetta to protest against the spate of killings targeting them and to demand greater protection in the resource-rich province that has been plagued by violence and insurgency. Over the past couple of years Islamic State militants have also targeted the Hazara community in Baluchistan. The Hazaras called off the protest after meeting with Pakistan`s powerful army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who vowed greater protection and promised those targeting Hazaras "shall suffer twice as much". Bajwa said on Thursday the army was determined to "sacrifice anything and everything" to defend the country. "When a soldier sacrifices his life I lose part flesh of my body," he said at the funeral of the senior officer who died in the raid. Violence in Baluchistan is a worry for China, which has voiced concerns about security in the province that hosts a key route in the $57-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a transport and energy link planned to run from western China to Pakistan`s southern deep-water port of Gwadar.

Pakistani army kills senior militant, seven suicide bombers

Jamat ud Dawa (JuD) <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hafiz-saeeds-mml-designated-terror-group-by-us-vows-to-fight-pak-elections-128355">chief Hafiz Saeed who India alleges </a>is the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks is planning to setup JuD offices in all districts of Pakistan with different names to collect funds, India's intelligence sources have revealed.

Under Saeed's new strategy, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/unfriend-india-and-america-hafiz-saeed-136538">each district of Pakistan will have</a> a new trust with a name similar to the JuD, sources said. It is being done so that fund collection continues unhindered, sources added.

Hafiz Saeed who was under house arrest for most parts of last year was let of by a Pakistan court after authorities failed to furnish proof of his involvement in terror-related activities. Later, he said through his associates that he would be floating a political party to fight elections but it was nixed by the Pakistan election commission.

The US has consistently criticised Saeed's involvement in Pakistan civilian life and his ambition to join politics in the country.

As per agency reports, in case of action against JuD, it would be hard for the authorities to ban hundreds of "small trusts", sources revealed.

Intelligence sources said JuD is still active in various part of Pakistan and is actively diverting funds to orchestrate terror attacks inside India.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LXxTX2tJhDw" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

As per agency reports, in case of action against JuD, it would be hard for the authorities to ban hundreds of "small trusts", sources revealed.

Jamat ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed who India alleges is the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks is planning to setup JuD offices in all districts of Pakistan with different names to collect funds, India's intelligence sources have revealed. Under Saeed's new strategy, each district of Pakistan will have a new trust with a name similar to the JuD, sources said. It is being done so that fund collection continues unhindered, sources added. Hafiz Saeed who was under house arrest for most parts of last year was let of by a Pakistan court after authorities failed to furnish proof of his involvement in terror-related activities. Later, he said through his associates that he would be floating a political party to fight elections but it was nixed by the Pakistan election commission. The US has consistently criticised Saeed's involvement in Pakistan civilian life and his ambition to join politics in the country. As per agency reports, in case of action against JuD, it would be hard for the authorities to ban hundreds of "small trusts", sources revealed. Intelligence sources said JuD is still active in various part of Pakistan and is actively diverting funds to orchestrate terror attacks inside India.

JuD chief Hafiz Saeed setting up offices in all Pakistan districts, reveal intelligence sources

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