In talks with Pakistan on media ban on LeT coverage: US

Pakistan banned media coverage of militant groups as part of a crackdown on terror

Washington

: The US has said that it is in talks with Pakistan regarding that country's recent move to ban media coverage of terrorist outfits including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

-"All I can tell you is we're aware of them, we're looking into them, we're talking about this with Pakistani leaders,-" State Department Spokesman, John Kirby, told reporters.

-"I'm going to refer you to Pakistan for the reasoning behind its decisions,-" he said.

Pakistan on November 2 banned media coverage of militant groups like the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) as part of a crackdown on terror, acknowledging for the first time that the Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led outfit was a wing of the LeT.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had issued a notification banning all satellite TV channels and FM radio from coverage of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT),

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) under UN restriction.

-"The Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation are the other wings of Lashkar-e-Taiba,-" the PEMRA notification said.

-"What I can tell you is we recognise there's a balance to be struck here between the fight against terrorism and media freedom. It's a balance that every nation has to strike.

Pakistan should speak for itself and for why it made this decision and how it's going to execute this decision.

-"What I can tell you is, you know, we continue to discuss this issue with leaders in Pakistan and we'll do that,-" he said.