UN yet to receive appeal for review of JUD ban

The UN on Friday, said it is yet to receive any appeal from Jamaat-ud-Dawa or four of its top leaders to review the sanctions imposed on them by the Security Council in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks. If received, the request would need to be considered by the Security Council, with the letter for review  being sent through a member state.

The JUD had said it will approach the UN to remove restrictions imposed on it after a Security Council panel declared it a front for the Lashker-e-Toiba terror group.

The request for review, the spokesperson said, could be sent directly to the Council. However, if received by the Secretary-General, he would forward it to the Council.

Acceding to India's demand, the UN Security Council had placed sanctions on the Jamaat, its head Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, LeT operational chief Zakir-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and two of their financiers Haji Muhammad Ashraf and Zaki-ur-Bahaziq. Lakhvi has been termed as the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks by Indian investigators.

Asked whether the UN will investigate the charges levelled against JUD, the UN spokesperson said the world body does not investigate such incidents and it is done by local authorities, who are already engaged in it.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN Abdullah Hussain Haroon said following the imposition of sanctions on the group that they can appeal the decision and that the mission would help in the process.