The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) has decided to challenge recent government actions in Lahore High Court next week under which its chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed was put under house arrest and the JuD as well as its affiliated Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a charity organisation, were listed in Second Schedule of the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.
A spokesman for the JuD Asif Khursheed on Friday toldBusiness Recorder that the organisation's legal team was working on a petition to challenge the government of Pakistan's decision in the LHC as early as next week.
"Our legal team is in the process of challenging government actions in the LHC that we consider as unconstitutional and unlawful, as we have a clean track record of peaceful activities in the service of humanity", he maintained, adding the actions have been taken under pressure from India and United States.
Amid continued international pressure especially after the new US administration, the government on January 27, moved against the JuD and FIF by putting it on the watch list as per UN Security Council 1267 sanctions, besides listing both the outfits in the Second Schedule of the ATA 1997 (as amended).
This was followed by putting 37 members of the JuD and FIF on the exit control list (ECL) and freezing their bank accounts.
A senior government official who requested anonymity toldBusiness Recorder that one of the reasons for the move against Hafiz Saeed was due to his irresponsible and unnecessary public statements that were being exploited by India to malign Pakistan at international forums.
"We had two options: either to convince the world community to de-list JuD, which is quite a tough job or simply move against it. When you are a responsible member of the United Nations, certain actions are to be taken to fulfil international obligations when any entity is enlisted by the UNSC", he added.
He said that the government was closely watching activities of the JuD and the recent steps were taken in the national interest.
Dispelling the impression that actions were the result of the international pressure, DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor on Tuesday described it as a "policy decision", denying any foreign pressure behind the arrest of the JuD chief.
A similar statement was given by Foreign office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria on Thursday who stated that the decision was taken in line with Pakistan's international obligations, and was not taken under any foreign pressure.
On Friday, Islamabad Bar Council (IBC) strongly condemned the house arrest of Hafiz Saeed and other JuD activists, terming the steps as unconstitutional and unlawful.
In a statement, the IBC stated that its general body meeting was held at Islamabad District Court in which a unanimous resolution was passed to condemn the house arrest of JuD chief and the other steps against the organisations and its members.
They also staged a protest rally against the government actions which was led by IBC president Naveed Hayyat Malik.
The JuD also separately held a protest demonstration in Islamabad, strongly condemning the house arrest of Hafiz Saeed and other actions against the JuD and FIF.