India hails US move on Hafiz political party

New Delhi: India on Tuesday welcomed the decision by the United States to designate the Milli Muslim League (MML) as an alias of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT), saying this proves that “terrorist individuals and entities are allowed to change names and continue to operate freely from territory under Pakistan’s control”. New Delhi also welcomed designation of seven MML functionaries as global terrorists by the US, saying that the designation is “a rejection of the attempts being made in Pakistan to mainstream terrorist individuals and entities; and highlights Pakistan’s failure to fulfil its international obligation to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries, and disrupt terror financing”.

Responding to the “designation of Milli Muslim League (MML) and 7 of its functionaries as global terrorists by the US on April 2”, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said, “India welcomes the action taken by the US for designating the Milli Muslim League as an alias of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT), a Pakistan based terrorist group and its functionaries who are acting on behalf of LeT. It vindicates India’s position that Pakistan has not taken effective action against terrorist groups and individuals. It is also cognisance of the fact that terrorist individuals and entities are allowed to change names and continue to operate freely from territory under Pakistan’s control.”

The US state department earlier said, “The department of state has amended the designation of Pakistan-based terrorist organisation LeT to include the aliases Milli Muslim League (MML) and Tehreek-e- Azadi-e Kashmir (TAJK). The aliases have been added to LeT’s designations as a foreign terrorist organisation under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist...”

“Concurrently with today’s State Department actions, the US department of the treasury designated seven members of the MML central leadership body for acting for on behalf of LeT: Saifullah Khalid, Muzammil Iqbal Hashimi, Muhammad Harris Dar, Tabish Qayyuum, Fayyaz Ahmad, Faisal Nadeem, and Muhammad Ehsan,” it added.