'Pak banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa in its own interest'

Washington, Dec 13: On Thursday, Dec 12 United States said that Pakistan banned the Jamaat-ud-Dawa for its own interest and not because Islamabad was warned by the Bush administration that it stood to be branded as a terrorist state.

US Spokesperson Sean McCormack clarified, "Pakistan did this because it saw it in its interest. As we have said many, many times over, the threat from violent extremists is as much a threat to Pakistani people and the Pakistani government as it is to anybody else. All that said, it's a welcome step that they took."

The Spokesman was also asked to clarify if the banning of the JuD would be one of the topics that the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would be covering when she visits the United Nations next week. Rice will be in New York on a two day visit for a discussion on a range of issues including Zimbabwe and piracy.

"...there are a lot of different things that she's going to be talking about up there. I'm sure that she will touch on the issues related to India and Pakistan. I know that Foreign Secretary Miliband, at least at this point in time, plans to be up there and she plans to see him. And if they do get together, I'm sure that that topic will come up," he added.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)