Pakistan Bks To Freeze Taliban Assets, Meet UN Condition

KARACHI (AP)--The State Bank of Pakistan on Monday ordered banks to submit an inventory of Taliban assets and ordered all assets belonging to Afghanistan's ruling Taliban army frozen in keeping with a United Nations resolution.

The U.N. resolution imposed limited sanctions on the Taliban effective Nov. 14 to press a U.N. demand that the Taliban hand over suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden for trial either in the U.S. or a third country on charges he masterminded last year's bombings of two U.S. Embassies in East Africa.

Pakistan is one of only three countries to recognize the Taliban. In the order issued by the State Bank of Pakistan, banks were told to "take the necessary action to freeze the funds of the nature mentioned in the (U.N.) resolution (and) submit a statement of the frozen funds" by Dec. 20.

The Taliban have flatly refused to hand over bin Laden saying Afghan tradition and culture prohibits the handing over of a guest to his enemies. As well the Taliban say the U.S. hasn't furnished any proof of bin Laden's involvement in the embassy bombings or in terrorist attacks against U.S. interests.