US expresses concern over SC decision, JuD activities

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has expressed deep concern over Pakistani Supreme Court's permission to Hafiz Saeed's organisation Jamaatud Dawa and its affiliates to continue their activities in the country.

Commenting on the court's decision, the State Department reacted by saying that "this development will jeopardize Pakistan's ability to meet its commitments under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 to freeze and prevent the raising and moving of funds belonging to or associated with UN designated terrorist groups."

Replying to a question put forward by The News, a department spokesperson said: "We recognise that this is a judicial ruling and does not represent the policy of the government," further adding: "This development underscores the importance of Pakistan urgently enacting legislation that formally proscribes Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FiF), as the Pakistani government indicated it planned to by way of following up its Presidential Ordinance on February 9, 2018."

However, the department also underscored that the administration was happy that "Pakistan has made a high-level political commitment to work with the Financial Action Task Force to address weakness in its counterterrorism financing regime."

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday rejected the federal government's plea against a Lahore High Court interim order allowing Jamaatud Dawa and its affiliated Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation to continue their charity work in the country. The JuD is a UN designated terrorist organisation. Hafiz Saeed was also declared as a global terrorist. In April 2012, the US announced a bounty of 10 million dollars on Hafiz Saeed for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai attack.

News Desk adds: The US State Department Spokesperson, Heather Nauert, while acknowledging concerns asserted that a state of tension exists in the ties of Pakistan and the United States.

During a department press briefing in Washington, Nauert maintained that the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had some meaningful and important meetings with the new government of Pakistan. “The US is looking forward to forging a relationship with that new government, recognising that there are, of course, some tensions and some areas where we – or the government can work harder,” she said. “And so those were the types of meetings that we had and we were pleased to have gone,” she concluded while replying to a query.