Pakistan bans groups on UNSC terror list

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has amended the Anti-Terrorism Act and the president of Pakistan has issued an ordinance for this amendment.

The amendment has been brought to declare as terrorist the organisations that have been declared as such by the United Nations Security Council. Now the government will be able to take action against these organisations with this amendment.

After approval by the president, the Law Ministry has issued the ordinance which has added an article in the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. The ordinance was to be issued because the National Assembly and the Senate were not in session.

It may be mentioned that a special team of the United Nations Security Council visited the country last month to see the progress made on sanctions placed on Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) and other proscribed organisations.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) had also issued a notification saying that all companies have been prohibited from "donating cash to the entities and individuals listed under the UNSC sanctions committee’s consolidated list".

The UNSC sanctions list includes the names of al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, JuD, FiF, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other organisations and individuals.