Daily Times

The government has banned a nationalist and two separatist organisations in Sindh for involvement in terrorism, bringing the total number of the proscribed outfits in the country to 76.

The Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz – Arisar Group (JSQM-A), Sindhudesh Revolution Army (SRA) and Sindhudesh Liberation Army (SLA) were have been added to the list of banned organisations under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

The Ministry of Interior has issued a notification in this regard. “In exercise of the powers conferred by section 11-B (1) sub section (a) of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, the federal government after approval of the cabinet, places the organisations in the proscribed list as there are reasonable grounds of believing that the said organisations are concerned in terrorism.”

Three more organisations — Jamiatul Ansar, Jamiatul Furqan and Hizbut Tehrir — were banned on Nov 20, 2003, while Khair-un-Naas International Trust was proscribed on Oct 27, 2004.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) was placed on the list on April 7, 2006, and the Islamic Students Movement of Pakistan on Aug 21, 2006.

The Lashkar-i-Islam, Ansarul Islam and Haji Namdar Group were banned on June 30, 2008, and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan was outlawed on Aug 25, 2008.

Five militant organisations from Balo­ch­istan — the Balochistan Republican Army, Balochistan Liberation Front, Lashkar-i-Balochistan, Balochistan Liberation United Front and Balochistan Musallah Difa Tanzeem — were put on the list on Sept 8, 2010.

Three organisations from Gilgit — the Shia Tulaba Action Committee, Markaz Sabeel Organisation and Tanzeem Naujawanan-i-Ahle Sunnat — and Peoples Aman Committee (Lyari), Karachi, were placed on the same list on Oct 10, 2011.