Washington: The United States has designated Lashkar-e-Jhangvi co-founder Malik Ishaq, blamed for killing scores of members of Pakistan's Shia minority, as a global terrorist.
The consequences of this designation include a prohibition against American nationals engaging in transactions with Ishaq and the freezing of his property and interests in the US or in the possession or control of US persons, the State Department said yesterday.
Ishaq is a founding member and current leader of the banned LeJ. In 1997, Ishaq admitted his involvement in terrorist activity that resulted in the deaths of over 100 Pakistanis.
After spending 14 years in jail, Ishaq was freed in 2011 due to lack of evidence and witnesses in several cases filed against him.
In February last year, Pakistani police arrested Ishaq in connection with bomb attacks on January 10 and February 16, 2013 in southwestern Quetta city that killed over 250 Pakistanis, a majority of them Shias.
LeJ claimed responsibility for the bombings.
