A file photo of Haqqani Network's founder Jalaluddin Haqqani. PHOTO: REUTERS
Earlier on Thursday, The Express Tribune quoted senior security officials as saying that a formal announcement of the ban on the Haqqani network and 11 other militant organisations would be made in "coming days."
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The Pakistani government did not respond when asked by Reuters to confirm the report.
In Washington, a spokespersn for the US State Department said the United States welcomed reports of the planned ban.
"This is an important step towards eliminating terrorist activity in Pakistan," Marie Harf told a regular news briefing. She added that she was aware an announcement was planned, but did not know when this would happen.
Harf noted that US Secretary of State John Kerry had just visited Pakistan, where he had "wide-ranging conversations with the Pakistanis about counter terrorism."
"Certainly he emphasised that we are committed to deepening our security partnership with Pakistan," she said.
If the government formally announces a ban on the powerful Haqqani network, which attacks targets in Afghanistan from its bases in Pakistan, it would show it was keen to convince to the United States that it is serious about pursuing the militants. However, it would remain to be seen whether this translated into significant action on the ground.
Pakistan has long been suspected by the West of playing a double game, fighting some militants while supporting others.
However, after a militant attack on a school in Peshawar last month in which 134 children were killed, Pakistan promised to stop differentiating between "good" and "bad" militants and to step up operations against their hideouts on the Afghan border.
Kerry said in Pakistan on Tuesday that Pakistan must fight militant groups like the Haqqani network that threaten Afghan, Indian and US interests.
Pakistan's foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz told Kerry that action would be taken "without discrimination against all groups."
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@sardarzaheer:
Popular anti American blather -- long on blather and short on facts. Morsi got along just fine with the American's -- and the USA restricted military/financial aid to Egypt when Morsi was overthrown. The reality is that the Muslim Brotherhood made economic promises it couldn't deliver and tried to impose strict Sharia law on a population which didn't want it ... the popularity of the current military rule is ample evidence of the Muslim Brotherhood failure.
Planning to ban! Not banned. This is a trail baloon; they will not ban dawa or Take action against LET.
@Jat - And you would know all this because? Oh wait you because you are Indian..? Ok makes sense then - You guys like spitting venom against us regardless and I find it amusing that whatever our Army does, you guys get worked up! Haha.
Way to go Pak Army - Whatever you do, these people wont be happy! Just do what you think is right - We are behind you 100%.
Regards,
But what does it mean? We've banned many terrorist outfits over the years but it hasn't stopped them from doing what they do ..
So it took us 13 years to ban them. This should have been done the other day after 9/11.First create, then nourish, then support, then protect and then ban. Mashallah what a formula.
Well done !! More you say yes with Master's command, More your life will be good .
Long over due measure.
Beginning of yet another double game by Pakistan. By its very nature, the Pakistani establishment is unable to function without having non-state actors as one of its arms.