Pakistan adds two terror groups to list of proscribed organisations

Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday declared the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group and Majeed Brigade Group as proscribed organisations, citing their involvement in terrorism.

Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group is a leading Taliban militant outfit involved in several attacks on the security forces in recent months while Majeed Brigade is a group of Baloch nationalists and has been on the forefront in attacking the security forces, mostly in Balochistan.

A list of proscribed entities maintained by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) shows that the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group was listed on July 25 and Majeed Brigade Group was added to the list on July 18.

Officials said that both organisations were under observation for two years before being banned. The decision to ban the groups was made after concrete evidence of their involvement in terrorist activities was found.

Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a Pashtun from North Waziristan tribal district, has been allegedly hiding in Afghanistan and sending his militants to attack the forces across the border.

With the addition of these two, the number of banned organisations has reached 81, with Gul Bahadur as being the last on the notorious list.

The first two entries on the list show Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-i-Muhammad Pakistan, the two militant sectarian outfits of Sunni and Shiite Muslims, which were added to the list on August 14, 2001.

The anti-India Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militant groups were added to the list on January 14, 2002, while JEM affiliated organisations Al-Rehmat Trust, Bahawalpur, and Al-Furqan Trust, Karachi, were added on May 10, 2019.

Apart from the banned groups, four entities are on the watch list. They include Ghulaman-e-Sahaba, Maymar Trust, Sachal Sarmast Welfare Trust and Al-Jaza Patient Welfare Society.

Additionally, two organisations, including Al-Akhtar Trust and Al-Rashid Trust, enlisted under UN Security Council Resolution No. 1267 have also been mentioned in the document of proscribed entities.

The list of proscribed groups is maintained under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.