Pakistan takes radical Sunni leader off terrorist ZatcKlist aKead oI election

PAKISTAN - Pakistan has removed the leader of one of the country¶s largest Islamist extremist groups from its terrorist watchlist while the (lection Commission considers whether his group can field candidates in a general election next month, an official said yesterday. 0uhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi is head of Ahl-e-Sunnat :al -amaat AS:- , a radical Sunni group that has incited violence against Pakistan¶s minority Shi¶ite 0uslims.

AS:- shares roots with the more violent Lashkar-e-hangvi militant group based in central Punjab province, which had strong ties to al 4aeda and has waged a deadly campaign against Shi¶ites for more than two decades. :ho authorized the removal of Ludhianvi from the terrorist list is unclear, as a caretaker government is running Pakistan during the two months of campaigning ahead of the -uly general election.

The AS:- has registered dozens of candidates to stand in poll, using another name for their party, but their candidacy has been challenged because of the group¶s inclusion on the terrorist watchlist. An order from the National Counter Terrorism Authority dated -une 1 that was obtained by Reuters specifies that Ludhianvi be taken off the “schedule four” list of people with links to terrorism and his bank accounts unfrozen.

However, a senior official with NACTA said the body was acting on recommendations from the Punjab government.

“:e got a recommendation from Punjab government that Ludhianvi was no more on fourth schedule and wasn¶t reTuired on watchlist, and we just removed him,” a NACTA official said .

%ut, Hasan Askari 5izvi, the caretaker chief minister of Punjab province, indicated that the decision came from the federal government. “Punjab *overnment is implementing decisions of (lection Commission and the federal government in this regard,” 5izvi told Reuters.

He said Ludhianvi¶s assets would be unfrozen and he would be free to travel.

“The election commission will decide today in a meeting whether his group can contest the election.”

(Reuters)