PESHAWAR: Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said on Saturday that religious groups banned by the government for fanning sectarianism and religious extremism would not be permitted to re-operate from new platforms, Online and APP reported. However, if they (the groups) were willing to cooperate with the government against terrorism and fanaticism, it (the government) could think of permitting them to operate.
| If their purpose in life is terrorism and fanaticism, what're the chances of that happening? |
Talking to reporters after attending a Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry function, the interior minister said 16 religious groups had been banned while two were on the government's watch list and leaders of the banned groups were also under surveillance.
| Lashkar e-Taiba represents the ISI's undercover arm. |
He said the Anti Terrorist Act was complete in all respects and an Urdu version had been provided to all police stations to stop them (banned groups) from regrouping with other organisations. He also denied that Al Qaeda was reorganising its network in Pakistan, saying the terror network had been destroyed and there was no chance of its activists regrouping in the country. He said Pakistan's anti-terrorist operations were successful and most Al Qaeda-linked terrorists had been killed, arrested or made to leave the country. The interior minister said the government's writ had been restored in South and North Waziristan Agencies and military action against terrorists and political dialogue with tribesmen had been going on simultaneously. Sherpao said bank robberies and other such incidents in Swat, Quetta, Islamabad and Karachi were meant to raise funds by terrorists for their groups. These outfits were frustrated due to a lack of funds and could not carry out any subversive activity in the country, he added. Several important criminals had also been arrested by security agencies, he added. |