NEW DELHI- The Government of India on Tuesday welcomed the United States’decision to put Milli Muslim League on its list of terrorist groups.
Welcoming the decision, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said,”India welcomes US’ action for designating Milli Muslim League, an aliasof LeT, a Pakistan-based terrorist group and its functionaries who areacting on behalf of LeT.”
”The move vindicates India’s position that Pakistan hasn’t taken effectiveaction against terrorist groups,” the MEA statement added.
The reaction from the MEA came shortly after the US Administration ofPresident Donald added the MML – a political front of the LeT – to its listof terror groups.
Several leaders of MML and as well as LeT’s other front organisations havealso been added to the US’ list of terrorist groups. The MML leadersagainst whom the US took action include MML vice president Muzammil IqbalHashimi, Joint Secretary Muhammad Harris Dar, Information Secretary TabishQayyuum, Finance Secretary Muhammad Ehsan and Faisal Nadeem.
Announcing the decision, the State and the Treasury Departments of the USsaid on Monday that the MML has been added under LeT’s designation as aForeign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and as a Specially Designated GlobalTerrorist (SDGT) under two different laws.
Another LeT front, Tehreek-e-Azadi-e-Kashmir (TAJK), was also added to theUS list of terror groups, it said.
MML has been actively campaigning with posters of LeT co-founder andJamat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed, who is a US-designated Global Terrorist.
The Treasury Department also said that MML president Saifullah Khalid,General Secretary Fayyaz Ahmad and five others have also been put under thescanner.
“Today’s amendments take aim at Lashkar-e-Toiba’s efforts to circumventsanctions and deceive the public about its true character, ” Sales said.
Issuing a warning to LeT sympathisers, Treasury Under-Secretary SigalMandelker said that “those working with the Milli Muslim League, includingproviding financial donations, should think twice about doing so or riskexposure to US sanctions.”
“Treasury is targeting the Milli Muslim League and a group of seven globalterrorists who are complicit in Lashkar-e-Taiba’s attempts to underminePakistan’s political process,” she added.
”LeT founder Saeed had created the MML last August as the group’spolitical front and LeT members make up MML’s leadership and the party”openly displays Saeed’s likeness in its election banners and literature,”the State Department said.
In a major blow to MML, the Election Commission of Pakistan has alsorejected its application to be recognised as a political party.
”The LeT is largely blamed for the November 2008 terrorist attacks inMumbai, which killed 166 people, including six Americans. The terror outfithas also been part of several operations targeting the security forces andkilling civilians in India in recent years,” the State Department said.
”In a bid to avoid US sanctions, LeT began operating under the name TAJKin January last year and carried out terrorist activities under thatbanner,” the US department said.
The US Administration had earlier announced a bounty of USD 10 million onSaeed’s head and pressed Pakistan for his arrest. Saeed was last year setfree by a Lahore court, which refused to extend his detention.