ISLAMABAD/LAHORE/KARACHI - In a swift countrywide crackdown in the light of UN sanctions, the PPP-led government Thursday banned Jamaat-ud-Daawa, frozen its assets and sealed its offices throughout the country including Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Informed sources said that President Asif Ali Zardari took the decision to this effect during a high-level meeting and the Interior Ministry was in the process of issuing a formal notification with regard to banning Jamaat-ud-Daawa. As a result of these developments, a crackdown has been launched on the important leaders and activists of the Jamaat-ud-Daawa sealing their offices throughout the country and AJK. The Interior Ministry issued instructions to the authorities to seal the offices of the groups across the country and freeze all their bank accounts, a senior official from the Ministry of Interior said. The Ministry also directed the police chiefs of the country's four provinces and the Northern Areas administration to monitor the activities of the groups and take action if necessary. A ban on publishing and airing news of the outlawed groups was also imposed and all media organisations were asked not to publish, telecast and broadcast their news, local TV channels reported. The government has also included names of at least eleven important leaders of the Jamaat-ud-Daawa on the exit control list maintained by the Interior Ministry. There were late-night meetings of the government to take stock of the situation and chalk out its strategy to tackle the issue that had subjected Islamabad to tremendous pressure not only from India but also from the international community. The government also decided to step up pressure on India to provide solid evidence of the allegations relating to last month's terrorists attacks in Mumbai. The government, the sources said, was also considering to seek similar action by New Delhi against several people including serving Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, who was arrested in connection with the Malegaon blast and his involvement in 2007 Samjhauta blast. Meanwhile, the Punjab govt on Thursday sealed 19 offices of Jamaat-ud-Daawa including its head office in the provincial capital and put Hafiz Muhammad Saeed under house arrest for three months at his residence in Johar Town following imposition of ban on Daawa by the UNSC. The crackdown against Daawa started soon after the Federal govt directed all provinces to act against this organisation. Police sources said the Punjab govt issued detention orders of at least 30 office-bearers of the Daawa including its supreme commander Hafiz Saeed. Following the directives, the Punjab police detained 25 office-bearers of the organisation across the province including Hafiz Saeed in Lahore. The others who have been detained by the police are Maulana Amir Hamza, Hafiz Abdul Rehman Maki, Saifullah Mansoor, Col (Retd ) Nazir Ahmad, and Abu Umar. All these Daawa leaders have been detained under 3 MPO. The sources in Punjab police confirmed that at least 25 office bearers of Daawa have been detained so far. A team of Civil Lines police on Thursday night sealed the Daawa Centre at Chauburji Chowk and deployed heavy contingents of police besides some plain-clothes policemen. The SP Civil Lines Division Haider Ashraf confirmed that as per directives of the senior police officers, Daawa Centre at Chauburji Chowk has been sealed. He, however, said that no arrest has been made since the top leaders went underground. He said that nobody was present at the time when police conducted raid at the said centre and sealed it. He ,however, made it clear that that only eight rooms of the Chauburji Centre headquarter of the Daawa were sealed by the police. These rooms were carrying record about the activities of the organisation. The police however, have been deployed in and around the building, he further said. The sources further said that besides office-bearers and senior leaders, a crackdown against the members of the said organisation has also been launched late night on Thursday across the province. The CCPO Lahore held an emergent meeting late Thursday night with top police officials to chalk out the future strategy. Earlier, addressing a hurriedly called Press conference at Daawa Centre, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed condemned the UN Security Council for imposing ban on Daawa on Indian demand terming the action as unjustified and an attack on Islam, Pakistan and Islamic outfits. Daawa's political affairs head, Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki, Maulana Ameer Hamza, Hafiz Abdul Rauf, Yahya Muahid, Hafiz Khalid Waleed and Abdullah Muntazir were also present on the occasion. 'India has not given any proof of Daawa or any other group's involvement in Mumbai mayhem. The UN has banned Daawa in haste and without hearing the other side', Hafiz Saeed said. He asked India to produce any proof in any court so that Daawa could defend itself. 'Daawa is going to courts in Pakistan against the ban and also intends to move International Court of Justice . Daawa is also writing a letter to UNSC for seeking clarification and proof', he added. He said Daawa never indulged in unlawful or terrorist activities, or supported killings of civilians anywhere. He said Daawa was the most popular and effective relief organisation in the country providing education, health, food and water facilities to the poor and downtrodden in the rural and far-flung areas, besides assisting the affectees of earthquake, flood and other calamities. He said Daawa was running around 156 schools, 4 colleges, 8 hospitals, over 150 dispensaries and welfare centres for the poor across the country. He said Daawa's services for the quake victims in NWFP, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Balochistan have been acknowledged at national and world levels, for which UN itself had recognised Daawa as a noted relief organisation but also send commendatory letters. He said the ban would prove disastrous for millions of poor Pakistanis receiving humanitarian help and relief from Daawa. He said that in the past Delhi accused ISI and other jihadi groups of violence, which spurred as a result of its oppressive policies. He said that now Lashkar-i-Tayyaba and Daawa were Indian targets. Hafiz Saeed said Daawa's stance against Indian occupation of Kashmir and exposing Indian conspiracies against Pakistan regarding Baglihar Dam and other illegal projects were the reasons behind Indian stance. He said all Indian accusations against Pakistani or Kashmiri Mujahideen proved false in the past. He cited the Indian accusations against Pakistani groups for Samjhota Express blasts, Malegaon massacre of Muslims and other incidents but eventually the culprits turned out to be Indian army officers and Hindu fanatics. He termed the Mumbai incident a drama and said its culprits would also turned out to be Hindu extremists or secret agents, which was the reason behind not furnishing any proofs by India. To a question about Daawa's links with Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, he said Daawa supported all Kashmiri groups but gave up supporting Lashkar in 2001. In Karachi, law enforcement agencies in a crackdown against Jamaat-ud-Daawa raided its several offices and also seized its bank accounts on the directives of State Bank of Pakistan. The provincial headquarter located at Nipa Chowrangi, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and main office located at Salaman Terrace, Esa Nagree, Hassan Square and divisional office situated at Liberty Chowk, Tariq Road were also shut down. Heavy contingents of police raided the said offices and arrested the activists present there. Police got list of some 122 activists of Daawa which included eight leaders whose names have been included in Exit Control List including Hafiz Saeed, Professor Abdul Rehman, Amir Hamza, Yahya Mujahid, Qari Kashif, Saifullah, Mufti Abdul Rehman, Qari Abdul Rahim Baloch and Yasin Baloch. Police sources said that some 13 workers of Daawa had been arrested during the raids including the spokesman Nadeem Khan, Riaz, Fareed Dar, Muzammil and Raza. National Crisis Management Cell have directed all the four provincial Home Departments to take immediate action against the offices running by the Jamaat-ud-Daawa. Bari Baloch from Quetta adds: police launched crackdown on took action against activists of Jama'at-ud-Daawa in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan and took into custody four persons following ban on the organisation. It may be mentioned here that JD does not have any effective organisational structure in Balochistan, however, a large number of activists of party had arrived in Quetta and Ziarat to assist earthquake affectees. A camp was also established by the organisation at Meezan Chowk Quetta for collecting donations for earthquake affectees. Police removed the camp and took into custody four people who were sitting in the camp. The activities of organisation have also stopped in earthquake-hit areas of Ziarat and Pishin. APP from Peshawar adds: police on Thursday night launched a crackdown against the activists of Jamaat-ud-Daawa and sealed its main office here at Kala Manari in Cantonment area. "We have sealed the office of Jama'at-ud-Daawa in Cantonment area on Thursday," Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), Saifat Ghayoor told this news agency. When asked about the arrest of workers of Jama'at-ud-Daawa, the CCPO said that no arrest have been made so far. The police chief highly lauded the professionalism and dedication of police during the Eidul Azha.