Pakistan ‘takes control’ of JeM headquarters

Agencies report that the Pakistan government Friday took over the administrative control of the headquarters of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), the militant outfit which claimed responsibility for the Pulwama suicide attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.

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The move came a day after the UN Security Council comprising 15 nations, including Pakistan’s key ally China, named JeM in a statement condemning in the “strongest terms” the “heinous and cowardly attack perpetrated by Pakistan-based JeM” in Pulwama and stressed on the need to hold organisers and financiers of such “reprehensible acts” accountable and bring them to justice.

Meanwhile, at the same time Gen Bajwa visits the Line of Control (LoC), and said Pakistan will give a befitting reply to ‘any misadventure’
The Pakistan government Friday took over the administrative control of the headquarters of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), the militant outfit which claimed responsibility for the Pulwama suicide attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.

The move came a day after the UN Security Council comprising 15 nations, including Pakistan’s key ally China, named JeM in a statement condemning in the “strongest terms” the “heinous and cowardly attack perpetrated by Pakistan-based JeM” in Pulwama and stressed on the need to hold organisers and financiers of such “reprehensible acts” accountable and bring them to justice.

“The Punjab government has taken over the control of the JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur,” Pakistan’s information minister Fawad Chaudhry told PTI.

“The government of Punjab has taken over the control of a campus comprising Madressatul Sabir and Jama-e-Masjid Subhanallah in Bahawalpur and appointed an administrator to manage its affairs,” the minister added. Bahawalpur is 400 km from Lahore.

A statement issued by the interior ministry also said the crackdown on Jaish “has been taken in line with the decision of the National Security Committee meeting held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan”.

The Islamic seminaries in the campus have a faculty of 70 teachers and currently 600 students were studying in it, the statement said, adding that Punjab police is providing security and protection to the campus.

Pakistan Thursday also banned Hafiz Saeed-led Jamat-ud-Dawa and its charity wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation. Earlier, the two outfits were kept on the watchlist of the interior ministry.

Meanwhile, Pakistan army chief has said that though Pakistan is a peace-loving country, it will not be intimidated and any misadventure will be given a befitting response.

General Qamar Bajwa made the remarks on his visit to the Line of Control on Friday, said a statement issued the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

“COAS visited Line of Control. Reviewed state of preparedness. Lauded high moral of troops. Pakistan is a peace loving country but we will not be intimidated or coerced. Any aggression or misadventure shall be paid back in same coin”, Bajwa said, according to DG ISPR major general Asif Ghafoor.

UNSC Condemns Pulwama Attack

The UN Security Council has strongly condemned what it called the “heinous and cowardly” militant attack in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir and underlined the need to hold perpetrators of these “reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice”.
40 central reserve police force personnel were killed in a suicide attack in Pulwama district on February 14.

“The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir, which left 40 Indian paramilitary forces dead and dozens wounded on February 14, 2019, for which Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility,” the UNSC said in a statement.

The UN organ, which includes five permanent members China, France, Russia, UK and the US “underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice”, it said.
The top UN body urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions to cooperate actively with the government of India and all other relevant authorities.

The press statement is highly significant as China, a permanent member of the Council, has in the past repeatedly blocked India’s bids in the Security Council Sanctions Committee to designate JeM chief Masood Azhar as a “global terrorist”.

“A statement with many firsts takes more time than expected. In complex diplomatic situations, however, it is better to be late than never,” India’s permanent representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin tweeted on the UNSC statement.

On whether China raised any objections to the statement, sources told PTI here that drafting the statement was a “prolonged process” and was issued after “prolonged discussions”.

The members of the Security Council also expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the Indian people and the government of India, and wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured.

“The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,” it said.

The Council also reiterated that “any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed”.

The UNSC reaffirmed the “need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts,” it said.

 

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