Hafiz Saeed’s extremist groups continue to function in Pakistan despite a recent ban, a leading Pakistani newspaper has reported.
Days after the government of Imran Khan reimposed a ban on Jamat-ud-Dawa and its charity arm Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) against the backdrop of the Pulwama terror attack, theDaily Times of Pakistan reported that the groups continue to operate with impunity in various parts of Pakistan.
The paper reported that JuD and FIF outlets have put up new banners outside offices and collection centres and are continuing to work as before.
In various places, the two organisations have re-branded themselves as Al Madina and Aisar Foundation.
The weekend report stated that it was driven to prove the need for a genuine will of the Pakistani state to counter and control extremist organisations within its own territory.
Pakistan has more than 130 names in the UN list of globally designated terrorists which includes Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Jamat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
India is at present is in the midst of a global campaign to include Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Masood Azhar in the global list of terrorists. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a speech on Saturday reminded his Pakistan counterpart act against the extremist groups.
Collecting funds
TheDaily Times report pointed out that, despite the latest reimposition of the ban by the Imran Khan government, Jamat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniyat were openly collecting funds for their agenda near Al Qadsia mosque in Lahore.
The reporters found that common people continued to visit these outlets with donations even though the spokesperson of Jamat-ud-Dawa, Yahya Mujahid, maintained that FIF had stopped working after the ban.
The activists of the organisations told the reporters that they just had to change name to avoid the ban imposed by the government.
Daily Times has indicated that it may upload videos and photographs showing the uninterrupted functioning by the banned organisations of Hafiz Saeed.
