JuD will be banned only after probe: Gilani

Islamabad, Dec 10: Confirming the arrests of Lashkar-e-Toiba's members, Lakhvi and Zarrar Shah, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has denied reports that Jamaat-Ud-Dawa has been banned after India's appeal at the United Nations Security Council. He said, "We are under no pressure. Jamaat-ud-Dawa will be banned only after a probe," he said.

Earlier, after Union Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed urged the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Dec 9 to help punish anyone responsible for the deadly attacks in Mumbai by adding them to a UN terrorism blacklist, Pakistan gave an undertaking to the UN Security Council that it would proscribe Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the parent body of LeT, suspected to have carried out the Mumbai terror attacks, if the Council declares it a terrorist organisation.

Islamabad has also assured the world body that all training camps of Lashkar-e-Toiba or any entity of this nature would not be allowed on its territory. The undertaking given by Pakistan's Ambassador to UN Abdullah Hussain Haroon came after India had sent a formal request to the Council to put sanction on JuD and its leaders.

Addressing the Council during a debate on terrorism, where the Mumbai carnage was in focus, Haroon said that moves would be set into motion to freeze assets of the JuD, if the Council puts sanctions on the outfit.

"After the designation of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) under (resolution) 1267, the Government on receiving communication from the Security Council shall proscribe the JuD and take other consequential actions, as required, including the freezing of assets," he said.

He told the Council that Pakistani authorities had already initiated investigations on its own pertaining to allegations of involvement of its citizens and entities in the Mumbai attacks.

Haroon expressed Pakistan's willingness to ban the suspected outfit. He added that the outfit's bank accounts could also be ceased. Haroon's statements confirm the intense pressure that Pakistan is facing from the international community to act against Jamaat.

The charity Jamaat-ud-Dawa is widely regarded as a front for the Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba, which India says was behind the Mumbai attacks that killed 179 people.

Ahamed said at the UNSC that he wanted the group added to the list of individuals and groups facing travel bans and asset freezes under Security Council resolution 1267, which imposed sanctions on supporters of al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and the Taliban.

Without naming them, Ahamed said 'other such organizations' should also be blacklisted "and effective sanctions imposed against them."

Ahamed also made clear that New Delhi expected Islamabad to act decisively against any militants operating in Pakistan who might have been involved in preparing the attacks.

In his response, Haroon also said that Pakistan had not only proposed a joint investigation of the attacks but had offered to send to India "the highest level possible delegation from Pakistan to sort out these affairs."

"Not only are the terrorists not linked to Pakistan in any way, we too are their targets and we too continue to be their victims," Haroon told the council.

The Pakistani envoy said he was a "a little surprised" at the force of the statement of the Indian minister, adding that India and Pakistan should "stop all negative campaigns against each other."

China's attempt to block moves to ban JuD

Three attempts to proscribe Jamaat-ud-Dawah, the frontal organisation of the Pakistan-based terror outfit LeT, in the UN Security Council were blocked by China, and now all eyes would be on what Beijing does on the fresh move to ban the outfit.

The sanctions committee of the Council had circulated a note to its members that the United States, backed by Britain and France, had tried to add JuD chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed to the list of individuals and organisations connected to terrorism last May, but was blocked by China, according to a note circulated in the UNSC today.

A similar attempt directed against the organisation in April 2006 was also blocked by China, the note said.

Now India has put in a formal request for declaring JuD as a terrorist outfit for its involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks. New Delhi has also asked for freezing of assets of the organisation.

OneIndia News