Pakistan bans three groups on China’s request

Pakistan,on demand from China, has decided to ban three Islamic groups for their activities in the Chinese Muslim-majority Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, media quoted the Interior Ministry as saying.

The Interior Ministry sources said the foreign groups have been added to the list of outlawed groups, BBC Urdu reported on Wednesday.

Quoting Pakistani intelligence sources, the report said the groups’ members plan extremist activities and provoke the people against the government.

The groups include East Turkestan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Islamic Jehad Union.

Chinese officials had informed Pakistan about the groups activities and the issue had been under discussion of military leaders of the two countries.

The sources said Chinese authorities had informed Pakistan that members of the groups are in touch with Xinxiang province and they had concerns that members of the outfits can use Chinese for their objectives.

The groups members believed to have taken shelter in the Pakistani tribal regions and Skardu in northern areas and in the border regions with China.

Pakistani officials have sought some more information from Chinese and Uzbekistan governments about the groups members who say they want nearly 50 suspects. Ten women are among the wanted list. Some of them impart training to women suicide bombers.

The IJU has also nationals from Chechnya, Azerbaijan and Sudan.

Abdul Rahman Yeldraov of ETIM is the most wanted and Suriya Asrnov tops the women wanted list, who is believed is an expert to prepare suicide bombers.

The sources said that these groups have links with al-Qaeda and their possibility of involvement in war against security forces in Pakistan and Afghanistan cannot be ruled out.
The Interior Ministry sources said that Pakistani security forces have arrested some members of these groups during operations in the tribal regions.

In view of their possible attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan, the government has increased security for Chinese diplomats. The Deputy Inspector General Security Division has been tasked to devise a special security plan for the Chinese diplomats."

==