Islamabad: In a crackdown, possibly spurred by the US move to turn off the aid flow, the Pakistan government has banned Hafiz Saeed’s so-called charities from collecting donations. The move came even as a media report said the Pakistan government plans to seize control of all charitable outfits and financial assets linked to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind.

Asked about the crackdown, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal told Reuters he has ordered authorities “to choke the fundraising of all proscribed outfits in Pakistan”. In a written reply, he also said Pakistan wasn’t taking action under US pressure. “We’re not pleasing anyone. We’re working as a responsible nation to fulfil our obligations to our people and international community.”

The United States has labelled Hafiz Saeed’s charity outfits — the JuD and the FIF – as “terrorist fronts” of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which attacked Mumbai in November 2008, killing 166 people. Washington has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to Saeed’s conviction over the Mumbai attacks. Saeed could not be reached. He has frequently denied having ties to terrorists and says the organisations he founded and controls have no terrorism ties. He says he promotes an Islamic-oriented government by doing good works.

If the government cracks down in the earnest, it would mark the first time Pakistan has made a major move against Saeed’s network, which includes 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance services. The JuD and FIF alone have about 50,000 volunteers and hundreds of other paid workers, according to two counter-terrorism officials.

IANS