Pakistan closes Islamic charities' newspapers

KARACHI, Feb 23 (Reuters) Pakistan authorities have closed down publications of two Islamic charities on a list of organisations whose assets the United Nations says should be frozen because of links to terrorism, government officials said.

Authorities began sealing offices of the two groups -- Al-Rasheed Trust and Al-Akhtar Trust -- in different cities on Sunday saying the action was required under UN resolution 1267.

Publication permits the two charities held were cancelled yesterday.

''We have cancelled their declarations and closed down the offices of these publications,'' Gholam Mohtaram, interior secretary in the southern province of Sindh, said today, referring to their publication permits.

The two charities' Web sites would soon be blocked in Pakistan, he said.

UN resolution 1267 requires all states to freeze the assets of people and organisations on a list established by the resolution.

Al-Rasheed was placed on the list in 2001 and Al-Akhtar in 2005 because of suspected links with al Qaeda and the Taliban.

The Al-Rasheed Trust published the daily newspaper ''Islam'' and the weekly ''Islami Akhbar''. Al-Akhtar Trust published the monthly ''Al-Abrar''.

The bank accounts of both charities were frozen in 2003, another government official said.

REUTERS BDP PM1632