Pak blocks bank accounts of over 5,000 suspected terrorists

Islamabad: Pakistan has frozen the bank accounts of more than 5,000 suspected terrorists, depriving them of over Rs 30 million, after the deadly 2014 Peshawar school massacre, an official said on Saturday.

"Pakistan has vigorously followed the extremists by freezing their bank accounts, suspending their identity cards and targeting them through operations," an official of the Interior Ministry told PTI.

He said coordinated actions were started after the 20- point National Action Plan (NAP) was adopted following the Peshawar school attack which left over 150 people dead, mostly students.

"Point 6 of the NAP provides for 'choking financing of terrorist and terrorist organisations' in the country,? he said.

The government has frozen accounts of more than 5,000 suspects, depriving them of more than Rs 30 million.

"We are further tightening the noose around illegal financing of any kind of violent activity," he said.

Similarly, orders were issued to block the national identity cards of more than 2,000 terror suspects on the recommendation of National Counter Terrorism Authority, which was also activated as part of the NAP, he said.

He said hundreds of militants have been killed in Operation Zarb-e-Azb and Operation Raddul Fasad which aim to eliminate the threat of militancy on "permanent basis".

Pakistan army has already declared that the operations are against every group involved in violence. The use of forces dismantled the so called safe havens in tribal region.

The fight against terrorism has cost Pakistan more than USD 100 billion since 9/11.

The annual cost of the operations and other actions against militancy cost about Rs 100 billion, according to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

According to an official data, more than 60,000 people have been killed in the fight against militants.