ISLAMABAD, Sept 9: Forty-five politico-religious organisations have been banned by the government in the past 11 years.

Although Interior Minister Rehman Malik has been claiming that the banned organisations are under strict observation, they are freely operating in the country.

According to an official list available with Dawn, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Sipah-i-Muhammad Pakistan were declared as proscribed organisations in August 2001.

The military regime of Gen Pervez Musharraf outlawed Jaish-i-Muhammad, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, Tehrik-i-Jaafria Pakistan, Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi and Tehrik-i-Islami on Jan 14, 2002, when the Bush administration was busy fine-tuning contours of the war on terror.

Al Qaeda was put on the list of banned entities on March 17, 2003, followed by Millat-i-Islamia Pakistan (formerly SSP), Khuddam-ul-Islam (formerly JeM) and Islami Tehrik Pakistan (formerly TJP) on Nov 15, 2003. In the last week of the same month, Jamiat-ul-Ansar, Jamiat-ul-Furqan and Hizb-ut-Tehrir were placed in the same category, followed by Khair-un-Nas International Trust on Oct 27, 2004.

Then after a hiatus of a couple of years, the Balochistan Liberation Army, which according to the then government, started creating unrest in the province joined the list on April 7, 2006, and the Islamic Students Movement of Pakistan on August 21.

After another two years when the country witnessed a sudden surge in violence in the tribal areas, Lashkar-i-Islam, Ansar-ul-Islam, Haji Namdar Group and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, which were operating in the area, were banned.

On Sept 8, 2010, the Balochistan Republican Army, Balochistan Liberation Front, Lashkar-i-Balochistan, Balochistan Liberation United Front and Balochistan Musallah Defa Tanzeem were declared outlawed.

On Oct 10, 2011, the government put Shia Tulaba Action Committee, Gilgit, Markaz Sabeel Organisation, Gilgit, and Tanzeem Naujawanan-i-Ahle Sunnat, Gilgit, on the same list.

On the same day, the interior ministry flagged another entity as proscribed, but altogether for different reasons. It was the PPP’s very own People’s Amn Committee of Lyari, Karachi, which was banned.

Many in the PPP are not happy with the step because they believe it was taken at behest of the MQM.

The organisations which have been banned during the current year are: Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (formerly SSP), Al Harmain Foundation, Rabita Trust, Anjuman-i-Imamia Gilgit Baltistan, Muslim Students organisation, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan Bunyad Parast Army, Tehrik Nafa-i-Amn, Tahaffuz Hadudullah, Balochistan Waja Liberation Army, Baloch Republican Party Azad, Balochistan United Army, Islam Mujahideen, Jaish-i-Islam and Balochistan National Liberation Army.

Al-Akhtar Trust, Al-Rashid Trust and Jamaat-ud-Dawa are listed under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267.

The United Nations Council has imposed sanctions to cover individuals and entities associated with Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden or the Taliban.