Pakistan bans Islamic State

Dhaka

Pakistan has banned the Islamic State militant group that has overrun vast stretches of Iraq and Syria after repeatedly denying the dreaded outfit’s presence within its territory.

“The Islamic State or Daesh has been banned in Pakistan,” an Interior Ministry official said on Saturday.

The decision was taken on recommendation of the Foreign Office, which regularly updates the Pakistan government about international militant groups banned by the United Nations.

Banners and graffiti in support of Islamic State (IS), also known as Daesh in Arabic, have often appeared in Pakistan but the government has until now rejected its presence inside the country. However, the official said the outfit has been declared a proscribed entity.