Pakistan delayed in banning militant outfits: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi, Aug 7 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh has said that Pakistan's ban on Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) along with 25 religious and other groups should have happened a long time back.

Singh wondered whether Pakistan was serious about the ban.

"All the militant organizations that the Pakistan Government has claimed to ban have been operating for a long time. If they had to be banned, it should have happened a long time back. Now, it is to be seen whether it is a mere gimmick or they are serious about it. It will be known in future," Singh said on the sidelines of his party's national working committee meeting.

Singh also said that peace talks with Pakistan should only begin when India is satisfied with its action to curb terrorism.

"Recently, the Prime Minister) said secretary level discussions will begin between India and Pakistan. I opined that whether it is secretary-level discussions or beginning of Confidence Building Measures, they should not happen until India is completely satisfied that the Pakistan Government is serious about stopping militant organizations operating from Pakistan territory," Singh said.

The Government of Pakistan on Wednesday banned 25 religious and other organisations, including the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

India has been demanding action for a long time against the JuD, LeT and JeM, which it blames for carrying out several attacks on Indian soil, including the Mumbai terror attacks and the 2001 assault on the Indian Parliament.

The Pakistani Government has linked a majority of the outlawed groups to terrorist attacks and suicide bombings in Pakistan. (ANI)