Charities banned: government ignoring national interests: JI chief

While slamming the government over banning the charities linked to Hafiz Saeed, Emir Jamat-e-Islami Sirajul Haq Thursday said that the government has just implemented the US State Department's orders while ignoring national interests. He said that the US government has never taken serious steps in addressing the core issues related to the Muslim World including resolution of Palestine and Kashmir issues; however, Pakistani government acted on the US state department directives and banned Saeed's charities.
Siraj said that on one side the government is not implementing courts orders and on other side it is implementing the US directives in letter and spirit, adding that such steps are against the sovereignty of Pakistan. In a statement issued here, Siraj said that Pakistani courts have cleared Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and his charity organizations from all accusations and he was released from the house arrest on the court's directions, wherein no one provided any proof to the courts of his involvement in any kind of terrorism.
Siraj said that cowardice authorities have begun seizing control of offices and financial assets of the charities -Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) - on American and Indian desires. The JI emir said that the government should decide wither protection of Pakistan's sovereignty is the responsibility of the government or implementing the Indian and US designs comes under its domain. He added that US steps are a direct involvement in Pakistan's local matters which should not be allowed in any case.
He said that FIF has played a significant role in education, health and rescue operations not only in Pakistan but also in other countries, so he was unable to understand the motives of banning such an organization. He said that the government of Pakistan instead of listening to the US and Indian directions should take up this issue in the United Nations and strongly present the case over there as neither did India nor the US provided any proofs to Pakistani courts on account of their charges against Hafiz Saeed and his organizations.
The government Wednesday banned two charities linked to Hafiz Saeed, just days before a global watchdog is due to vote on a US-backed motion to put Islamabad on a watch-list for failing to curb terrorist financing.