Hafiz Saeed detained, Pak shuts 9 offices of Jamaat

It was unclear whether the moves against nine Jamaat-ud-Dawa premises in Karachi represented the beginning of a major crackdown on the group. Its headquarters remained open Wednesday, as did other branches across the country.

Pakistan has arrested at least 20 people, including two militants alleged by India to be key players in the Mumbai attacks, but India has made it clear it wants to see more action.

New Delhi on Thursday announced a massive overhaul of its security and intelligence agencies in the wake of the attacks, which provoked a public outcry over the government’s response.

Among the new measures, the government will seek to create an FBI-style national investigative agency, beef up coastal security, better train police, strengthen anti-terror laws and increase intelligence sharing, said Home Minister P Chidambaram.

“Given the nature of the threat, we can’t go back to business as usual,” Chidambaram told Parliament.

Under pressure from India and the United States, Security Council panel on Wednesday declared Jamaat-ud-Dawa a terrorist group subject to UN sanctions including an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

US officials say the group, which has offices, schools and medical clinics around the country, is a front for Lashkar-e-Toiba, a banned militant group accused by India of carrying out and planning the Mumbai attacks.

Sindh provincial home secretary Arif Ahmed Khan said nine Jemaat offices in Karachi were ‘sealed’ on Wednesday, but gave no more details.