islamabad: Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal says that following the UN’s resolutions, Pakistan will ban Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF). While addressing the fourth international conference on the Use of Space Technology for Water Management, the minister spoke on topics ranging from the menace of terrorism to improving the country’s water system. “Terrorism is a fatal poison for Pakistan,” Ahsan Iqbal said. “The National Action Plan is a programme of the Pakistani nation and is being fully implemented. Our measures are not directed to please any country,” he said. The minister informed that efforts to implement the ban on JuD and FIF were already being carried out following strict directives from the federal government. On February 14, the Punjab government had banned these two charities linked to Hafiz Saeed. The move came after Pakistan quietly amended its anti-terror laws to ban organisations listed as “terrorists” by the United Nations. The change was made by President Mamnoon Hussain on February 9 and notified by the law ministry on February 12. Authorities have begun seizing control of offices and financial assets of the charities – JuD and FIF, an official said. In Rawalpindi, district officers had begun taking over the charities’ offices, a city official said. “We’ve taken over all the JuD and FIF assets. We’ve completed the takeover,” Rawalpindi Commissioner Nadeem Aslam informed.
Published in Daily Times, February 27th 2018.
