Pakistan - BANNED OUTFITS OPERATING UNDER DIFFERENT NAMES UNDERMINE STATE'S CREDIBILITY

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar said today that permitting proscribed outfits operating in the country under different names undermines the state’s credibility in the fight against terrorism and militancy.

“Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) was a reincarnation of Lashkar-i-Taiba (LT), and they were allowed to function due to a court order that was given,” said Babar while answering a query in the senate.

“The government has not yet provided me a copy of the court order that allowed JuD to operate, despite the passage of one month and an order by the chairman of the senate,” added Babar.

“This issue has again come to the forefront due to the recent comments made by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, in which he alleged that Pakistan has allowed some select groups to operate freely in the country,” said Babar.

“This has raised serious questions and misgivings about our intent and designs,” stated the senator.

The senator added further that questions were bound to arise when proscribed organisations are run under the guise of charity organisations.

“Are these so called charities allowed to function and serve as pressure groups which try to influence the elected government and the parliament, or are they meant to advance certain security and foreign policy goals as non-state actors,” questioned Babar.

Babar also said that given the impunity that is enjoyed by some of these groups, gives rise to the suspicion that they are protected by certain powerful forces.

Under Section 11-B, an organisation is proscribed if the federal government has reasons to believe that it is linked to terrorism. Under the law, the government can place an organisation under observation for six months if it is suspected of being involved in terrorist activities. The period can be extended only after providing the organisation an opportunity of being heard.

Earlier in July, the government had ruled out the possibility of proscribing Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) in the near future and said there was no evidence of the charity organisation having been formed in place of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

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