Pakistan bans JuD, FIF; To accelerate anti-terrorism operations

Islamabad, Feb 21: Pakistan on Thursday decided to accelerate anti-terrorism operations and also reinstated ban on Hafiz Saeed-led Jamat-ud-Dawa and its charity wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, said reports.

A spokesman of the Interior Ministry said that the decision to ban these groups was taken during a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) held at the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday.

"It was decided during the meeting to accelerate action against proscribed organisations," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"It was further decided that Jamat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation be notified as proscribed organizations by the Ministry of Interior," he added.

Earlier, the two outfits were kept on the watchlist of the interior ministry.

During today's NSC meeting, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan also reportedly authorised the military to respond "decisively" to any aggression by India.

Pakistan's top security body on Thursday said the country was "not involved in any way" in the Pulwama "incident", which was "conceived, planned and executed indigenously".