Govt bans 10 more organisations for alleged affiliation with proscribed outfits

F.P. Report

LAHORE: The interior ministry on Saturday announced that it has placed 10 more organisations on the list of proscribed outfits.

According to a press release issued by the ministry, the action was taken in pursuance of the National Action Plan (NAP).

The newest additions to the list of banned outfits are Al Anfal Trust (Lahore), Idara-i-Khidmat Khalaq (Lahore), Al Dawatul Irshad (Lahore), Al Hamd Trust (Lahore and Faisalabad), Mosque and Welfare Trust (Lahore), Al Madinah Foundation (Lahore), Muaz bin Jabal Education Trust (Lahore), Al Eesar Foundation (Lahore), Al Rehmat Trust Organisation (Bahawalpur) and Al Furqan Trust (Karachi).

The entities were designated as proscribed organisations for their alleged affiliation with banned Jamatud Dawa (JuD), Falah-i-Insaniyat Founda­tion (FiF) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

In March this year, law enforcement agencies had intensified its ongoing crackdown on JeM, JuD, FIF and other banned outfits, and had arrested more than 100 activists. Nearly 200 seminaries besides hundreds of other facilities and assets associated with them across the country were taken over by the government.

Most of the facilities were later handed over to the Auqaf department, health and education authorities. At many mosques, prayer leaders were replaced.

The ongoing operation against the proscribed organisations would continue till “achievement of objectives” under the National Action Plan (NAP) of 2014, Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi had declared in a tweet, adding that efforts were being made to accelerate progress on NAP.

The scope of NAP was extended a day after the ministry of interior had issued a formal notification to ban the JuD and the FIF as well while 44 activists of JeM and other outlawed groups, including JeM chief Masood Azhar’s son and brother, had already been taken into custody.

A new National Action Plan

According to a November 2018 Dawn report, the Interior Ministry had been working on a new version of the NAP – described as Interior Minister Shehryar Afridi’s brainchild – and the restructuring of the National Counter Terrorism Authori­ty (Nacta) to effectively tackle internal threats to security.

A document outlining the ministry’s performance during the first 100 days of the PTI government and its future plans says that NAP-2 is aimed at bridging the gaps in the first version which was rolled out in January 2015.

In March this year, Prime Minister Imran Khan had chaired the first ever meeting of the National Internal Security Committee (NISC).

Prime Minister Khan had told attendees that implementation of the NAP is the government’s foremost priority as it is reflective of the will of the nation, and a consensus document which was agreed upon by all political parties in the country. It was decided by the committee to form Expert Working Groups to ensure seamless coordination on, and implementation of, the NAP to counter terrorism.

A briefing on the plan and its implementation is due and the main opposition parties have declared that they will attend the NAP briefing only if it was held in the parliament and delivered by the prime minister.