BAHAWALPUR, Pakistan (AP) — Popular support for militant groups in southern Pakistan is complicating Prime Minister Imran Khan's latest crackdown.

Khan has ordered the takeover of assets and property of dozens of banned militant organizations that operate in Pakistan, including Jaish-e-Mohammad, a U.N.-designated terror group that recently pushed nuclear-armed India and Pakistan to the brink of war.

Many of the groups are popular among the poor in Pakistan's southern jihadist heartland because they operate networks of charities. Some groups have also enjoyed support from the military and intelligence services.

Pakistan's counter-terrorism agency says the government has outlawed 68 militant groups. This includes Jaish-e-Mohammad and other Pakistan-based groups that seek to wrest control of Indian-controlled territory in the disputed Kashmir region, which has been the flashpoint of two wars between the South Asian neighbors.