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US lists Pak as safe terror haven

Cites terror attacks in India, says groups like LeT & JeM continue to flourish in Pakistan

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Masood Azhar, Founder of JeM
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The US on Wednesday listed Pakistan among nations and regions providing "safe havens" to terrorists, in a major boost to New Delhi's diplomatic efforts in exposing Islamabad internationally for its role in backing terror activities on Indian soil.

The US said terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) continue to operate, train, organise and fundraise in Pakistan as Islamabad has failed to take sufficient action against them.

In its annual 'Country Report on Terrorism', as mandated by the Congress, the State Department said India continues to experience attacks by Pakistan-based terrorists.

"In January 2016, India experienced a terrorist attack against an Indian military facility in Pathankot, Punjab... Over the course of 2016, India has sought to deepen counter-terrorism co-operation and information sharing with the US," the report said.

In a separate chapter, the State Department listed Pakistan as one of the safe havens of terrorism.

"Although LeT is banned in Pakistan, LeT's wings Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FiF) were able to openly engage in fundraising, including in the capital," it said.

In its report to the Congress, the State Department said that in 2016, India and the United States pledged to strengthen co-operation against terrorist threats from groups including al-Qaeda, ISIS, JeM, LeT and D-Company (Dawood Ibrahim's group), including through greater collaboration on designations at the UN.

Indian and US leaders directed officials to identify new areas of collaboration through the July US-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group, applauded finalisation of a bilateral arrangement to facilitate the sharing of terrorism screening information, and called upon Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of terrorist attacks against India to justice, the report said.

The United States and India worked together to designate JeM leader Maulana Masood Azhar, although the listing was blocked in the UN 1267 Committee, the State Department said.

Other areas mentioned in the report as safe terror havens are Afghanistan, Somalia, the Trans-Sahara, Sulu/Sulawesi Seas Littoral, Southern Philippines, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Columbia and Venezuela.

Government sources here said the US State Department report vindicates India's long-standing position on the menace of cross-border terrorism in the region.

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