(AKI) - Pakistan's central bank has directed the country's commercial banks to freeze the bank accounts of one of the country's most violent militant groups, the Tehrik-e-Taliban. The State Bank of Pakistan spokesman, Syed Wasimuddin said that directives had been issued for the closure of all the accounts of the Tehrik-e-Taliban from Monday. Under the move, no amount can be deposited or withdrawn from their accounts.
The government moved against the Tehrik-e-Taliban movement after it claimed responsibility for several terrorist attacks, including the devastating bomb attack that killed at least 70 people and injured many others at a Pakistani arms factory in August. According to the Pakistani network, GeoTV, the bank has also directed commercial banks to provide all the details of these bank accounts - deposits, names of account holders, postal addresses and telephone numbers.
The bank's action follows a directive from the federal government to clamp down on the organisation.
Tehrik-e-Taliban recently warned it would carry out suicide attacks in major cities, including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, unless the military halted operations in key areas bordering Afghanistan.
The government last week announced it would impose a ban on Tehrik-e-Taliban, which is run by militant leader Baitullah Mehsud. Mehsud is accused of organising a wave of suicide attacks in Pakistan since mid-2007, including the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.