November 21, 2003	Friday	Ramazan 25, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: The government banned on Thursday three more religious groups in the country for allegedly spreading extremism and terrorism, bringing the total to six of such outfits outlawed within as many days.

An interior ministry notification said the Jamiatul Ansar, the Hizbul Tehrir and Jamaatul Furqan had been banned under section 11E of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

A ministry spokesman told Dawn that the federal government had asked the four provincial governments to immediately seal the offices of the newly-banned groups, two of which, he said, were linked to similar groups banned last year and the third to a foreign-based organisation.

Besides the three new banned groups, he said the government, which banned three other groups and placed a fourth on watch-list on Nov 15, had no intention to ban any other religious organisation in the near future.

The Jamaatul Furqan was a sister organisation of the banned Jaish-i-Mohammad while Jamiatul Ansar was a reincarnation of Harkatul Mujahideen, the spokesman said.

The Hizbul Tehrir was a part of the Khilafat Movement which has its headquarters outside the country, he added. He said the three banned groups were under surveillance and the interior minister had received various reports against them.

Talking about Jamaatul Dawa, put on the watch list by the interior minister last week, the official said the government had no plan yet to ban this group.

The spokesman rejected press reports about the possibility of putting a ban on Jamaat-i-Islami as well as the impression that the party was being watched by the law-enforcement agencies.

Three other religious groups which were banned on Nov 15 were: Millat-i-Islamia Pakistan (formerly Sippah-i-Sahaba Pakistan), Khuddam-i-Islam (formerly Jaish-i-Mohammad) and Islami Tehrik-i-Pakistan (formerly Tehrik-i-Jafria Pakistan).

Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat later said in an interview that all extremist organizations banned under the anti-terrorist act were not allowed to undertake any activities in any sectors, domain or discipline of public life, adds APP.

He said in the first phase all three banned organizations’ offices and centres had been shut down in the country with immediate effect.