Following increasing international pressure to launch a crackdown on militant groups, Pakistan has said that it will freeze accounts and seize assets linked to organisations banned by the US Security Council (UNSC). This comes amid the severely strained ties between India and Pakistan, following the Pulwama attack last month that was carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
40 CRPF jawans were killed in the attack in Pulwama after a JeM suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a bus plying CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir, on February 14. The deadly terror attack prompted India to launch air strike across Line of Control (LoC) and destroy a JeM camp in Pakistan’s Balakot. The Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) passed on March 4 says all “properties owned or controlled, wholly or partly, directly or indirectly, by a designated entity or designated individual” and any income from the assets including rent would be frozen or physically seized by the Pakistani authorities.
Islamabad said it will “streamline” the banning of groups that have been proscribed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and ensure that all entities banned by UNSC 1267 Committee in particular will have their assets frozen. Pakistan may take “decisive action” against all proscribed organisations, including Jaish-e-Muhammed, and even withdraw its opposition to the move to list terror outfit’s chief Masood Azhar in the UN Security Council terror list, according to a media report on Sunday.
