'Pak banned outfits displaying muscle in country, rather than abjuring violence'

Islamabad, Mar 14 (ANI): Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has warned banned terrorist organizations to stop displaying their muscle power in the country and abjure violence.

Malik had earlier said that banned terrorist organisations may have a normal status restored if they decide to "close down their militant wings". Currently there are 30 banned groups, including the al Qaeda, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Malik insisted that some of these organizations have expressed willingness to talk with the government to have their normal status restored.

"We have been contacted by several banned organisations that want to sit and talk. If they want to give up militancy we will talk to them as we are revising the list of proscribed organizations," The Express Tribune quoted him, as saying. (ANI)