ISLAMABAD: Federal government has quietly amended its anti-terror laws toban those listed as terrorists by the United Nations, a move which pavesthe way for Islamabad to proceed against suspected masterminds of the 2008Mumbai attacks.
The change was made by President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday, and publishedby the law ministry late Monday.
‘The amendment means that all individuals and entities listed by the UnitedNations also stand banned under Pakistani laws now,’ a seniorgovernmentlink> official told AFP.
He declined to say what actions were being taken after the change, andanalysts said it was unclear why it was needed when Pakistan is already amember of the UN.
The move comes after Washington piled pressure on Pakistan last November totake action against Hafiz Saeed link> ,the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks which killed 166 people, afterhe was released from house arrest in the eastern city of Lahore.
Pakistan says there is not enough evidence to charge him, and deniesharbouring militants.
However, the White House has said that freeing him ‘belies Pakistani claimsthat it will not provide sanctuary for terrorists’.
Security analyst Amir Rana said the Pakistani move may have been inanticipation of the meeting in Paris next week of the Financial Action TaskForce (FATF), an inter-governmental organisation to combat money launderingand terrorist financing.
Observers say Pakistan fears being put on money laundering and terroristfinancing lists.
Saeed heads the charity Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), believed to be a front forLashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a militant group that battles Indian troops indisputed Kashmir and was blamed for the Mumbai attacks.
Six Americans were among those killed during the three-day siege in Mumbai,when gunmen who arrived by sea sparked battles with Indian commandos.
The drama brought nuclear-armed India and Pakistan to the brink of war.
Saeed, who has a $10 million US bounty on his head, has denied involvement.He was listed by the UN in December 2008 for being associated with LeT, aswell as having links to the Al-Qaeda terror network and Taliban militants.
JuD is similarly listed by the UN as a terrorist group. No officials fromthe charity were immediately available for comment. -APP/AFP