Web Desk: Punjab’s Home Department has released a list of 89 banned and monitored organisations ahead of Eid al-Adha, urging citizens not to donate sacrificial animal hides to groups linked to terror or extremism.
The department warned that providing financial or material support to proscribed organizations constitutes a criminal offense under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, a Home Department spokesperson advised residents to donate animal hides only to charities registered with the Punjab Charity Commission or organizations holding valid authorization from local administrations.
Officials said the annual collection of sacrificial hides during Eid al-Adha remains a significant source of funding for charitable and religious organizations, making oversight critical to prevent banned groups from receiving financial support.
The department added that individuals found assisting outlawed organizations could face legal action.
“Citizens must ensure their donations reach deserving people instead of terrorist networks,” the spokesperson said.
Authorities also instructed the public to verify charitable organizations through QR codes displayed on official registration certificates issued by the Punjab Charity Commission.
According to the statement, deputy commissioners across Punjab are responsible for issuing temporary permits to seminaries and welfare organizations for collecting sacrificial hides during the Eid period.
Officials urged residents to confirm that any organisation collecting hides possesses a valid certificate issued either by the Punjab Charity Commission or the relevant deputy commissioner’s office.
The list released by the Home Department includes several banned militant, sectarian, and separatist organizations.
Among the groups named were Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Jafaria Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Al-Qaeda, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, and the Balochistan Liberation Army.
The list also included charitable fronts and affiliated entities such as Al-Rehmat Trust Bahawalpur, Al-Furqan Trust Karachi, Khair-un-Nas International Trust, and Khuddam-ul-Islam.
In addition, authorities named Islamic Students Movement of Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Islami, Ansar-ul-Salam, Haji Namdar Group, and the Balochistan Republican Army among the prohibited organisations.
Pakistani authorities routinely intensify monitoring of charity collections during Eid al-Adha, when millions of animal hides are donated across the country.
Security officials have long argued that some banned organisations attempt to use charitable campaigns and religious donations to generate funding and maintain operational networks despite official restrictions.
The latest advisory comes as authorities continue efforts to tighten financial oversight and curb terror financing across Punjab and other parts of the country.
Read more: India imposes restrictions on Eid prayers, sacrifice ahead of Eid-ul-Adha
