Saeed is also listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 and carries a US bounty of million on his head. (File Photo)
In a damage-control mode after pressure from India and the international community, Pakistan is drafting a bill to ban terror organisations like Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa as well as individuals on the interior ministry watchlist, Dawn reported on Sunday. Moreover, the Shahid Khaqan Abbasi-led government is also preparing a database of terrorists and outfits to arrest money laundering and terror financing. The move comes after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) approved a proposal by the US, the UK, France and Germany to place Pakistan on the international watchdog’s money-laundering and terror-financing grey list in February.
The new bill will replace the ordinance that was promulgated by President Mamnoon Hussian in February. The president had amended the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 to include entities listed by the UNSC as proscribed groups, but it will expire in 120 days. Dawn reported that the proposed draft bill was likely to be tabled in the National Assembly session set to begin from Sunday. Interestingly, the bill is being drafted with aid from the military leadership, which has always backed Saeed. The new bill will also enable investigation officers to probe sources of funding besides other financial aspects in terrorism cases.
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The National Assembly can extend the ordinance for another four months after which it has to be tabled before both the houses – National Assembly and the Senate – for further extension. However, the presidential ordinance has already been challenged by Mumbai attacks mastermind Saeed in the Islamabad High Court, claiming that it was promulgated due to external pressure and hence was contradictory to the fundamental rights of the Constitution.
What has also compounded matters for the Lashkar-e-Taiba chief is the US designating his Milli Muslim League as a terrorist organisation, making it difficult for it to get registered with Pakistan’s election commission. However, the Islamabad High Court has overruled the election commission and allowed MML to contest the parliamentary elections scheduled for July.
Saeed is also listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 and carries a US bounty of $10 million on his head. Earlier this year, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan had barred JuD and several other such organisations named in a list of banned outfits by the UN Security Council from collecting donations in the country.