Xinjiang insurgency: Pakistan bans three groups on China’s demand
Groups put on banned list as they are allegedly involved in fermenting insurgency in Xinjiang.
Groups put on banned list as they are allegedly involved in fermenting insurgency in Xinjiang. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE
The Pakistan government has decided to ban three alleged Islamic militant outfits on China’s demand, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
Citing sources in the Ministry of Interior, ther report said these militant groups have been put on the list of banned organisations as they are allegedly involved in fermenting insurgency in the southern Chinese region of Xinjiang.
These outfits include East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and Islamic Jihad Union (IJU).
The Chinese authorities had apprised Pakistan of the activities of these groups while the matter had been discussed at the top level meetings of both the countries’ military leadership.
These three groups had been included in the list of banned organisations in March. Their names were removed from the list on the basis of the reports of secret agencies, which could not find evidences of their presence or terrorist activities in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2013.