Govt empowers provinces to ban Ansar-ul-Islam.

ISLAMABAD -- Ahead of the planned October 31 protest march of the opposition, the federal government on Thursday empowered all four provincial governments to ban Ansar-ul-Islam, a volunteer force of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), being a private militia.

The Ministry of Interior through a notification, available with The Nation, empowered all provinces to take appropriate actions including abolishment and banning of Ansar-ul-Islam. The federal cabinet had given this approval.

The notification says, 'the Federal Government having reasons to believe that Ansar-ul-Islam (private militia/Razakar Force of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam Fazl-ur-Rehman Group (JUI-F) is capable of functioning, as a military organization in violation of the Prohibition contained in Article 256 of the Constitution.'

The entity is a volunteer force of JUI-F

'Now, therefore in pursuance of approval of the Federal Government in terms of Article 146 (1) of the Constitution and after obtaining the content from Provincial Governments.... the federal Government through Ministry of Interior entrusts the Provincial Governments the power to take appropriate actions under Section 2 of the Private Military Organizations (Abolition and Prohibition) Act, 1974 against Ansar-ul-Islam which shall, inter-alia, include the power to abolish/ ban the said organization and take further steps against them on grounds for the purposes of effectually completing the action.,' reads the order.

Earlier this month, the ministry had forwarded a summary to the federal cabinet which said: 'Various source reports shared by our intelligence agencies and provincial governments with the Ministry of Interior has revealed that JUI-F has established a militant wing...

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