November 17, 2003	Monday	Ramazan 21, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 16: Interior minister Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat on Sunday said bank accounts of the three freshly- banned religious groups would be frozen and the process of sealing their offices would be completed within the next 72 hours.

The minister said the action against these organisations — Islami Tehrik-i-Pakistan (formerly Tehrik-i-Jafriya Pakistan), Millat-i-Islamia Pakistan (formerly Sippah-i-Sahaba Pakistan) and Khuddam-ul-Islam (formerly Jaish-i-Mohammad)has been taken under the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The minister said the government had instructed the State Bank to freeze bank accounts of the leaders of these banned groups. He said: “The SBP and other agencies (concerned) have been assigned (the task) to trace them within 72 hours.”

“We would not only seal main offices of these groups but their covert establishments and sites would also be sealed,” he said.

The centre, he said, had directed provinces to prepare lists of leaders and activists of these groups and send them to the federal government.

The interior minister said these banned groups would not be allowed to reorganise under any new name, warning them of stern action if they violated these orders. Referring to arrests of banned groups’ leaders, he said raids were being conducted in various cities to net them.