Pakistan’s Punjab government on Friday notified that those giving charity to some 90 banned organisations, including Masood Azhar’s Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hafiz Saeed’s Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), will be booked under terrorism charges.According to the Punjab Home Department notification, providing any form of assistance to the proscribed organisations is a criminal offence.”Citizens are strongly advised not to give zakat (charity) or donations to unregistered or proscribed organisations or face legal action,” it says.Muslims give zakat usually during the month of Ramadan.The department has made it clear that anyone found providing financial support to banned groups involved in terrorism or anti-state activities will face legal action under the Anti-Terrorism Act.Citizens should ensure that their zakat, charity, and donations are given only to institutions registered with the Punjab Charity Commission, it says.It urges the public to ensure that their donations reach deserving beneficiaries rather than terrorists.The fresh list of banned groups released by the Punjab Home Department on Friday includes JeM, LeT, JuD, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Al-Furqan Trust Karachi, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Jafaria Pakistan, Al-Qaeda, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Balochistan Liberation Army, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, ISIS, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Jundallah, Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, Sindhudesh Liberation Army and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.


