Pakistan acts against charity tied to attacks

MURIDKE, Pakistan-Pakistan moved aggressively Thursday against an Islamic charity with links to militants suspected in the Mumbai attacks, freezing the group's assets, putting its leaders under house arrest and padlocking its offices.The moves against Jamat-ud-Dawa could help convince India and the United States that Pakistan is cracking down on militants blamed for the Nov. 26-29 assaults, but it also risks igniting Muslim anger at its already shaky, secular government.The action came a day after the United Nations listed Jamat-ud-Dawa as a front group for Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was blamed for the strikes. The U.N. also subjected Jamat-ud-Dawa to sanctions as a terrorist group, including an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.Pakistan has already announced the arrests of 20 militants-including two alleged by India to have masterminded the attacks-and has vowed to cooperate with its neighbor.India, which says the attacks were carried by Pakistanis as well as plotted and directed by militants in Pakistan, remains skeptical of the response so far.Elements in Pakistan's powerful military and intelligence agencies are believed to retain links with militants, which they have used as proxy fighters against Indian rule in the disputed Kashmir region, raising questions about their willingness and ability to crack down on them.Islamabad has targeted Lashkar-e-Taiba and other militants before, detaining leaders-including one picked up Thursday-only to release them later. That has bolstered critics who allege the government is not serious about fighting the extremists...

By BABAR DOGAR and ASIF SHAHZAD, Associated Press Writers

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