Hafiz Saeed. File photo

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 12

The US today imposed sanctions on terrorist organisations based in Pakistan, including an organisation run by Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawah.In another development, Daniel Coats, Director of the US National Intelligence, told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing that tension between India and Pakistan can only come down if Pakistan moves forward on the Pathankot probe.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The developments came as a relief for India that has long been asking the world to take strict action to curtail the funding of various Pakistan-based terror groups that routinely carry out attacks. “These sanctions seek to disrupt the financial support networks of terrorists based in Pakistan who have supported the Taliban, Al-Qaida, Islamic State, and LeT for recruiting and funding of suicide bombers and other violent insurgent operations,” said John Smith, director of treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. He said the US would “aggressively target extremists in Pakistan” and their fronts, including “charities which are used as vehicles to facilitate terror activities”.The statement of Coats has given a significant backing to a demand that India has been making for a long time —- talks and terror cannot go together and Pakistan needs to act against those who are behind the Pathankot attack.“Easing of the heightened India-Pak tension will probably hinge in 2017 on a sharp and sustained reduction of cross-border attacks by terrorist groups based in Pakistan and progress in the Pathankot investigation,” Coats said.Both these developments also assume significance in light of the fact that the Trump administration will soon announce its Afghanistan policy. India and Pakistan have been vying for strategic influence in the region.

Security: not even a rupee sanctionedNew Delhi: The government is yet to sanction a single rupee for fortifying military bases across the country, notwithstanding the demand by the three services for Rs 2,000 crore to plug the gaps in their security in the wake of the Pathankot terror attack. A total of 3,000 sensitive bases, including 600 highly-sensitive installations of the Army, Navy and the Air Force, were identified by the forces to revamp the security infrastructure. The Army has spent Rs 325 crore from its “internal” funds, but the government is yet to give a rupee to the three services for it, official sources said. PTI