The Lahore High Court on Friday asked Pakistan’s federal government why it had banned the Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its charity wing Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation and frozen bank accounts associated with the two. The bench gave the government till March 29 to explain its reasons after hearing United Nations-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed’s petition in the matter, Dawn reported.

Saeed, who India has accused of planning the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, said that on February 10, the Pakistan Interior Ministry had issued a notification to freeze the bank accounts of, and take over assets associated with, both organisations under the Anti-Terrorism (amendment) Ordinance of 2018. Alleging that Pakistan had acted on pressure from India and the United States, he asked the court to declare the notification null and void.

India and the United States believe Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa is a front for terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which they blame for the attacks in Mumbai. In November, Saeed was freed after 297 days under house arrest on the Lahore High Court’s order. The US and India had reacted sharply against his release. Earlier in March, the court had asked the federal government and Punjab province administration to not place Saeed under house arrest again.