Punjab govt takes control of Jaish-e-Muhammad headquarters

ISLAMABAD:  The Punjab government has taken over the control of all Islamic seminaries run by Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), a militant group which has purportedly claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on Indian security forces in the Indian-occupied Kashmir earlier this month. The move came a day after a crucial huddle of the National Security Committee (NSC) in Islamabad, where it was decided that efforts would be expedited to rout extremism from the society. The forum also decided to ban Jamatud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) charities which India alleges are front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group which, according to New Delhi, had masterminded the 2008 Mumbai attacks. “The government of Punjab has taken over the control of a campus comprising Madressatul Sabir and Jama-e-Masjid Subhanallah in Bahawalpur, reportedly the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammad and appointed an administrator to manage its affairs,” said the spokesperson for the interior ministry in a statement issued on Friday. He added that the action was taken in line with the decision of the NSC meeting held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to the spokesperson, currently 600 students are studying at the campus, which has a faculty of 70 teachers. The Punjab police are providing security and protection to the campus, he added. Monitoring Desk