India seeks ban on Pakistan group

The Taj Mahal Palace hotel was among the gunmen's targets

India has urged the UN Security Council to ban a Pakistan-based Islamic charity, seen as a front for a group being blamed for the Mumbai attacks.

India's junior foreign minister E Ahamed told the UN that it should "proscribe" Jamaat-ud-Dawa, believed to be a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba.

India has blamed Lashkar-e-Taiba for the attacks.

Pakistan says its forces have raided a camp used by Lashkar-e-Taiba and arrested two leading militants.

But it also said it would not be handing the militants over to India.

Mr Ahamed said had requested the UN Security Council "to proscribe the Pakistani group Jamaat-ud-Dawa since it is a terrorist outfit".

"All those who were in any way responsible for the Mumbai terrorist attacks, wherever they may be, should be brought to justice," he said.

TEN NAMED MEN Nasir, alias Abu Umar (above, Nariman House) Abu Ali (Taj Palace) Soheb (Taj Palace) Fahad Ullah (Oberoi) Azam Amir Qasab (survived) Bada Abdul Rehaman (Taj Palace) Abdul Rehaman Chota (Oberoi) Ismal Khan (CST station) Babar Imaran (Nariman House) Nazir, alias Abu Omer (Taj Palace)

Mr Ahamed said India had acted "with restraint in face of terrorist attacks", but it might be compelled to take action in future.

"We must do our duty to by our people and take all actions as we deem fit to defend and protect them," he said.

"The charter of the United Nations and provisions of international law, including the right of self defence, gives us the framework to fulfil these responsibilities."

'Negative campaigns'

Pakistan's UN ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency that he was a "a little surprised" at the force of the statement of the Indian minister.

He said India and Pakistan should "stop all negative campaigns against each other".

Mr Haroon said Pakistan was ready to cooperate with India in the investigation of the attacks.

"Not only are the terrorists not linked to Pakistan in any way, we too are their targets and we too continue to be their victims," he told the council.

Separately, Indian authorities have released the names or aliases of the nine suspected militants killed during last month's attacks in Mumbai.

Photographs of eight of the men were released - the body of the ninth was said to have been too badly burned.

Police said all were from Pakistan. They did not say how this was known but one gunman, named as Azam Amir Qasab, survived and has been interrogated

The attacks began on 26 November and left at least 170 people dead.

'Positive steps'

Earlier Pakistani Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar said Jaish-e-Mohammad founder Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi had been held.

Mr Lakhvi is the Lashkar commander India suspects of planning the Mumbai attacks.

Reports say Pakistani police have also ordered the sealing of some offices used by Jamaat-ud-Dawa.

On Monday, the US praised what it said were "positive steps" after Pakistani forces raided a camp in Pakistani-administered Kashmir used by Lashkar-e-Taiba, which India links to the attacks.

But state department spokesman Sean McCormack also said it was "incumbent upon the Pakistani government to act to prevent any future terrorist attacks, to break up those networks that may be responsible for perpetrating acts of violent extremism".

Delhi has not commented on the operation.

Masood Azhar is one of the most wanted men in India. The group he founded, Jaish-e-Mohammad, is accused along with Lashkar-e-Taiba of taking part in the attack on India's parliament in 2001 which led the two countries to the brink of war.

Mr Azhar is reportedly on a list of people Delhi has demanded Pakistan hand over.