Pakistan minorities back banned Islamist charities

HYDERABAD, Pakistan, May 15 (Reuters) Hundreds of Hindus and Christians marched in Pakistan today in support of two Islamist charities labelled as terrorist organisations by the United States.

The US State Department said this month that Jamaat ud-Dawa and its affiliate, Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq, were fronts for Lashkar-e-Taiba, one of the most feared militant groups.

Holding placards and banners, up to 800 Hindus and Christians drawn from different parts of southern Sindh province paraded on the roads of the city of Hyderabad calling the US decision ''cruel''.

''Helping mankind is not terrorism,'' read one of the placards.

The protesters also urged Pakistan not to comply with the US decision.

''If government of Pakistan took any action against Jamaat ud-Daw and Idara-e-Khidmat-e-Khalq, then minority community of Sindh will be complled to march towards Islamabad,'' the resolution said.

Jamaat ud-Dawa has been prominent in providing relief in northern Pakistan devastated by last October's earthquake. The charity is also involved in welfare activities in the rural areas of Sindh where most of Pakistan's tiny Hindu community lives.

Pakistan banned Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2002 and put Jamaat-ud-Dawa on its watchlist of terrorist organisations.

Lashkar, which grew out of an anti-US Sunni Muslim missionary group, was put on the U.S. terrorist list in 2001.

REUTERS SY BD2051