Friday, August 4 2006 17:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan has sought the help of United Nations and US to provide 'incriminating evidence' against its banned religious extremists groups to expedite prosecution of members of these outfits.

"It is difficult to proceed in such cases (against members of banned militant groups), therefore, information is required from the UN and other countries to proceed in such cases," a Pakistani official said.

The officials informed the US during a recent meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) in Washington about the need for evidence and asked United States to provide any proof it has of these groups' involvement in acts of terrorism, 'Daily Times' newspaper quoted him as saying.

Pakistan has told the UN and US that though it has banned these organisations in line with the UN's listing of them as terrorist groups, it now needed 'incriminating evidence' against these religious groups, which have moved the courts challenging the government ban on them.

Pakistan banned Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad besides proscribing sectarian extremists groups in 2002.

The groups were banned again in 2004 as many of them had re-surfaced with new names. Despite the ban, most of the leaders have been released after brief detentions.