Pakistan’s interior ministry has banned media coverage of Hafiz Saeed led terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba and its front Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) after the outfits was added to the international list of terrorist groups by United Nations(UN).
The decision was taken in the wake of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with US President Barack Obama last month.
Nawaz had then said that Islamabad will take “effective action” against terror groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The advisory said that the step was taken keeping in mind the UN resolution. It has asked every channel and radio station in Pakistan not to broadcast any rally or message of Hafiz Saeed.
It further stated that no advertisement shall also be taken from JuD and mentioned that if any channel was found to not follow the advisory, it may face severe consequences which include cancellation of news channel’s license.
Interior Ministry has imposed a ban on the media coverage of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Falah-e-Insaniyat (FIF) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) under the National Action Plan (NAP), ARY News reported. Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued the notification in this regard.
The National Action Plan was devised in January this year in the wake of the Peshawar Army Public School massacre in which over 150 people, mostly school children, were killed.
In the aftermath of the attack, the government and military had decided to carry out operations in the tribal areas and take action against all terrorist organisations and their facilitators across the country.
Hafiz Saeed, who is the main mastermind behind the26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has been facing charges from India in which over 160 people were killed and hundreds others injured.
USA has already declared JuD an affiliate of Lashkar-e-Taiba as a terror outfit. Washington also announced head money of 10 million dollars for Hafiz Saeed.
Source: IANS