Pakistan formally bans Jamaat-ud-Dawah, Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday issued a list of 70 proscribed organisations, including Jamaat ud Dawah (JuD) and its humanitarian arm, Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).

According to official documents obtained by Geo News, National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) issued the list of proscribed organisations with the latest addition of JuD and FIF today.

Before this, the JuD and FIF were put on the watch list by the Ministry of Interior, with their assets being frozen.

Earlier on Feb 21, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior had said the National Security Committee (NSC) in its meeting at the Prime Minister's office had reviewed the National Action Plan (NAP) in detail and decided to accelerate action against proscribed organisations.

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

In February 2018, the former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had also banned the two organisations across Pakistan with their moveable and immovable assets being frozen under the amended Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

On February 9, 2018, the Ministry of Law and Justice had announced that the then president of Pakistan, Mamnoon Hussain, amended the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 via Ordinance No II of 2018 to proscribe entities banned by the United Nations (Security Council) Act 1948.

The following day the Ministry of Interior had ordered the freezing and taking over of assets associated with JuD and FIF and directed provincial governments to implement the orders.

The government had also barred companies and individuals from giving donations to JuD, FIF, and other organisations on the UNSC sanctions 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.

However, the Supreme Court of Pakistan in September 2018 permitted the two organisations to continue their relief and charity work in the country.

The two-member SC bench, including Justice Manzoor Ahmed Mulk and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, rejected the federal government's appeal against Lahore High Court's verdict.

The JuD's network includes 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance services.