Pakistan on Thursday re-imposed a ban on the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), formed by Hafiz Saaed to sidestep the ban on his Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and its charity arm, the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Security Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, to discuss the geo-strategic and national security environment in light of the Pulwama suicide bombing and its aftermath, media reports said.
The two entities had been proscribed in an ordinance promulgated by then President Mamnoon Hussein in February last year to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act with regards to proscription of terrorist individuals and organisations to include entities listed by the UN Security Council, but this had lapsed.
At the meeting, it was also decided to accelerate anti-terrorism operations in the country, the Dawn daily said.
A statement released after the meeting also quoted Prime Minister Imran Khan as saying that "this is a new Pakistan and we are determined to demonstrate to our people that the State is capable of protecting them and believes that monopoly of violence stays with State".
At the meeting, it was also noted that Pakistan "is not involved in any way, means or form" in the terror attack by a suicide bomber in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, which left 40 Indian paramilitary force personnel dead, the Dawn reported.
The statement also said that it was resolved at the meeting that Pakistan would take action against anyone found using its soil for terrorism.
