Govt takes control of JuD HQ

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Thursday took control of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa Headquarters as part of the National Action Plan.

According to a statement issued by the Home Department, the NAP is being implemented in the province and the government is taking control of madrassas, hospitals and other facilities of proscribed organisations and the pace of action will accelerated. The decision to take over the JuD Headquarters was taken after a federal cabinet meeting held in Islamabad on Thursday.

Additionally, the Punjab government has started a crackdown on banned organizations across the province. According to sources, 38 people belonging to the JuD have been arrested and 30 people of other organizations will be arrested. Across the province, 160 seminaries, 32 schools, 153 dispensaries, 4 hospitals and 178 ambulances belonging to the JuD have been taken into custody.

The sources said the ambulances have been handed over to 1122/Punjab Emergency Service, adding that the operation against proscribed organizations across the province is continuing. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior has said law enforcement agencies have taken 121 people into preventive detention as of today (Thursday) in compliance with the National Action Plan (NAP).

In a notification released on Thursday, the Interior Ministry said the provincial governments have taken over the management and administrative control of 182 madaris, 34 schools/colleges as part of the NAP.

Provincial governments have also taken over five hospitals, 163 dispensaries, 184 ambulances and eight offices, the notification added. The operation against proscribed organisations is an ongoing process and continues under National Action Plan 2014. Interior Ministry is actively working in coordination with provincial governments and law enforcing agencies, it further read.

A day earlier, Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi said the operation against proscribed organisations under NAP will continue till achievement of objectives. The federal government on Tuesday took as many as 44 members affiliated with proscribed organisations, including Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar's brother, Mufti Abdul Rauf, and son, Hammad Azhar, into "preventive detention" under NAP.

Addressing a press conference, State Minister for Interior Shehryar Afridi said the action was taken without any foreign pressure and the government is taking indiscriminate action against banned outfits. “We won’t let anyone use Pakistani soil against anyone so that no force can intervene in Pakistan’s domestic issues. We are taking the action under our responsibility,” he said.