Pakistan continues to bluff India and the world over action against the Jamaat-ud-Daawa, as even though the terror group has been included in the Punjab province government's list of 23 banned extremist organisations working under the veil of new names, it would not face the same restrictions like others in the group.
The Punjab home department has directed authorities to keep a tight vigil on various outlawed organisations and their office bearers, but significantly, it has directed authorities that JuD chief Hafeez Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack, would not be restricted in his activities as the others on the list. He is only barred from travelling abroad, and not eligible for an arms licence, the Dawn reported on Tuesday. Saeed's bank accounts and those of two of his close associates have also been frozen.
India has long been demanding action against JuD, and has provided enormous evidence regarding its involvement in the ghastly 26/11 attacks.Home Minister P Chidambaram, during his recent visit to Islamabad, had demanded substantial action against the JuD.
Several terror groups such as the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi were banned during General Pervez Musharraf's regime in 2002, but most of them continued to operate under new names.
The Sipah-e-Sahaba was renamed as Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan, Jaish-e-Muhammad as Alfurqan and Khuddamul Islam and Tehrik-e-Jafria as Islami Tehrik Pakistan and while the Lashkar-e-Taiba opted for a more 'humanitarian' veil called Jamaat-ud-Daawa.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Home Department has also set up a task force to trace people and organisations providing strategic and financial support to banned groups in the province and take immediate action against them. Strangely, the home department's list of banned terror groups has no mention of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. It may be noted that Interior Minister Rehman Malik had pointed that groups like the LeJ and SSP were operating in Punjab in collaboration with the TTP and Al Qaeda.
