The United States has expressed its displeasure over militant groups issuing advertisements in Pakistani newspapers to raise funds, and has asked the people responsible for offering them space to be reined in.
The United States has expressed its displeasure over militant groups issuing advertisements in Pakistani newspapers to raise funds, and has asked the people responsible for offering them space to be reined in.
According to diplomatic sources in Islamabad, the US Embassy there has taken serious note of the fact that advertisements of the Jamatud Dawah and Al-Rasheed Trust continue to appear in various sections of the press, especially in Urdu newspapers.
The advertisements started appearing after the October 2006 earthquake. At that time, these groups were seeking volunteers to be deployed in disaster-stricken areas.
The sources said that by allowing the advertisements of proscribed organisations to be published in newspapers, the government is allowing them to resurface and strengthen their financial muscles through these campaigns.
Though it is not known whether the pressure has started trickling down to the newspapers, the interior ministry has instructed the Press Information Department of the Ministry of Information to create awareness on the subject.
“We have asked the Information Ministry to sensitise the subject and request the print media not to publicise such advertisements,” a senior government official informed.
The official added: “Every newspaper is monitored by the US States Department with the help of their Embassy in Islamabad. They have set up a separate section to monitor Urdu newspapers, especially since Nawa-e-Waqat and Khabrain are carrying adverts by Jamatud Dawah and Al-Rasheed Trust”.
The diplomatic sources said that Jamatud Dawah came into being after a ban was slapped on the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
It has failed to get a clean chit from the United States and features on a watchlist put up by the Pakistan government. The US has declared the LeT and JuD terrorist organisations and is now pushing Pakistan to follow suit.
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