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First Post
10-06-2025
- Business
- First Post
FATF can salvage its counter-terrorism credentials by cracking down on Pakistan
With the second meeting of the FATF scheduled to commence today, countries interested in the fight against terrorism and its financing need to re-evaluate Pakistan's role in failing to crack down on terrorism from its soil read more Should the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) take a sharper and closer look at Pakistan's counter-terrorism reality? With the second meeting of the FATF scheduled to commence on 10 June 2025, like-minded countries invested in the fight against terrorism and its financing need to re-evaluate Pakistan's role in failing to crack down on terrorism from its soil. Pakistan has thrice been listed on FATF's Grey List in the past, from 2008-2010, 2012-2015 and 2018-2022. The third time around, it landed on the list after the motion was initiated by the United States and supported by the United Kingdom, France and Germany due to Pakistan's glaring deficiencies in counter-terrorist financing (CFT). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The recent events around the conduct of Operation Sindoor are a stark reality check on the complicity of the Pakistani state in supporting, funding and participating in terrorism. If the world needed any further proof, Pakistan did not hesitate to provide it in full glare of the world media. Shortly after the successful precision strikes, senior military commanders stood in solidarity at the funeral prayer meeting, led by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist commander Hafiz Abdul Rauf. Pakistani military personnel went a step further by carrying the coffins of terrorists to reinforce their support and backing for UN-proscribed terrorist groups and their leaders. Terrorist leaders from the LeT and JuD have since been seen openly galvanising support for terrorism from Pakistan and collecting funds to provide an impetus to their 'jihad'. The Pakistani 'establishment' and terrorist handlers are confident that, having escaped the FATF clutches, they can continue to support terrorism as a state policy. Pakistan has been at pains to highlight Kashmir as the point of contention with India. On the contrary, it is Pakistan's employment of terrorism as an instrument of hybrid war that should remain the focus of attention of world capitals. And the best way to curb Pakistani adventurism is to retain strict control over the proliferation of terrorism by organisations like the FATF. There is no better way to ensure stability in the region and restrict the export from the terrorism factory of the world, and curbing its funding. The FATF is a 40-member, inter-governmental, multinational body that acts as a 'watchdog' against money laundering and terrorist financing. India is a member of the grouping. The FATF sets standards to fight terrorist finance and, along with its affiliated bodies, evaluates member countries for their compliance with its guidelines. This includes technical compliance, such as the absence of or inadequacy of laws. More importantly, its focus on the effectiveness of implementation highlights weaknesses or, worse, wilful defiance of countries like Pakistan in fighting terrorism. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan's last evaluation by the FATF was done in 2019. Its report was a national embarrassment for the country, at the very least. If Pakistan's evaluation is compared to a student's school report card, then, of the 11 effectiveness parameters, Pakistan failed in 10 and got a compartment in one! The rowdy kid's abysmal report card was not a sign of inability or a lack of resources to study. It came from the confidence to successfully fool not only the class teacher but the entire school faculty. This does not come as a surprise, given the country's record of nurturing and sheltering UN proscribed terrorist groups and their commanders. The evaluation report noted that 'Several UN-listed organisations continue to operate openly in Pakistan, including holding fundraising events.' Pakistan has mastered the art of obfuscating reality and window dressing the true face of its parallel terror economy. The appeasement of major powers by handing over selective terrorist leaders and promising to safeguard economic interests like the CPEC corridor is not a guarantee against the spread of the contagion. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD If the FATF does intend to expose Pakistan's age-old strategy of running with the hares and hunting with the hounds, then its record of fighting terrorism deserves closer scrutiny. Member countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany that have been victims of Pakistan's terror factories should support India's attempt at stabilising the region by curbing the funding of terrorism in Pakistan. The international community must realise that the Pakistani establishment's repeated claims of being a victim of terrorism are inherently flawed. It is not the West that is responsible for Pakistan's terror woes, unlike Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's repeated assertions. It is Pakistan's strategy of promoting extremist thought and sowing jihadi ideology that is hollowing its social fabric. Pakistan has been fooling the world by selectively fighting terrorism and equally selectively sharing figures of terrorists prosecuted and acted against. If this continues, little change can be expected. It is time to reintroduce the motion in the FATF to at least place Pakistan on the Grey List. This is despite the reality of mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the blackest of them all? Pakistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Col Vivek Chadha (Retd) is a Senior Fellow at Manohar Parrikar IDSA. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
Hindustan Times
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Unacceptable, ill-informed': Opposition slams UNSC for naming Pakistan vice-chair of anti-terror panel
The Congress on Thursday slammed the United Nations Security Council for appointing Pakistan as the vice-chair of the anti-terror panel, calling it 'ill-informed and unacceptable'. In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, 'The naming of Pakistan as the vice-chair of the 15-member United Nations Security Council's Counter Terrorism Committee and chair the Taliban Sanctions Committee for 2025 is most unfortunate, ill-informed and unacceptable.' Apart from the two committees, Pakistan will also co-chair the Informal Working Groups on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions. Reacting to the UNSC decision, Kharge said that the Congress, as a responsible opposition party, would urge the government to take appropriate diplomatic steps to 'de-hyphenate India and Pakistan on the global stage.' Shiv Sena UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticised the UNSC's decision to hand Pakistan two key posts, saying, 'Repeat after me, UNSC is a joke!' Pawan Khera, the media and publicity department head of Congress, alleged that this showed a 'foreign policy collapse'. He cited developments before the UNSC's decision, stating that the International Monetary Fund and World Bank had granted $1 billion and $40 billion to Pakistan post Operation Sindoor. " 'ADB gave $800 million to Pakistan on June 3, soon after Operation Sindoor. And on June 4, Pakistan gets elected as Chairman of the UNSC Taliban Sanctions Committee and Vice Chairman of the UNSC Counter Terrorism Committee. Of course, this is the sad story of our foreign policy collapse,' Khera said. He further questioned how the international community was permitting the 'continuous legitimization sponsorship of terrorism by Pakistan". Pakistan is a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the term 2025-26. The sanction committees of the 15-member Security Council makes decisions by consensus. Kharge called on the international community to understand and support India's stand against 'terrorism emanating from Pakistan'. 'Pakistan is the perpetrator of terror. India is a victim of terror. They cannot be equated. They should not be hyphenated,' he said on X. While urging the international community to 'see merit in India's case', Kharge demanded that Pakistan be included in the FATF grey list so that its terror financing can be monitored. 'It was first included after India's diplomatic efforts, under PM Dr Manmohan Singh in 2008 and then again in 2012. It has been in the Grey List three times, the last being in 2018,' he said. Kharge too slammed the IMF and World Bank sanctions on Pakistan, adding that it will 'only increase Pakistan's military expenditure, which its rogue Army uses to unleash terror on Indians'. He said that seeking accountability from Pakistan was a 'necessity' not just for India, but also for the international community. Kharge also issued a reminder, saying that Osama Bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), responsible for the 9/11 attacks, were both found and eliminated in Pakistan.
India Today
01-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Islam forbids killing, Pak-backed terrorists misuse religion: Owaisi in Algeria
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who is part of the Modi government's anti-terror all-party delegation to foreign countries, tore into Pakistan on Saturday for sponsoring terrorists, saying they were acting against the tenets of Islam by killing innocent people."Pakistan is the epicentre of Takfirism and there is no difference in ideology between the terrorist groups in Pakistan and Daesh and Al-Qaeda. They believe that they have a religious sanction, which is completely wrong. Islam does not allow the killing of any person, and unfortunately, that is their ideology," said Owaisi in was referring to the killing of 26 tourists by Pakistan-backed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, where Hindu males were singled out. He said that Islam has no place for 'Takfirism' or the 'Takfiri' ideology -- a concept in which fellow Muslims are declared kafirs, leading to their excommunication and often resulting in violence. Saying that terrorism has emanated from Pakistan, Owaisi said, "They have patronised them (terrorists), trained them.""Whether in Punjab or Kashmir, you have one common name --that is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism," he said Pakistan has been openly promoting UN-proscribed terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The AIMIM MP highlighted that LeT is "ideologically close to Al-Qaeda" and also helped the terror group responsible for the 9/11 attacks in the Operation Sindoor, India successfully targeted the terror launchpads of LeT and Jaish in an overnight attack on May Pakistan for harbouring terrorists, Owaisi said, "Anyone who picks up arms is a terrorist. Can't allow any space to be given to any terrorist."Owaisi appealed to the global community to rein in Pakistan, saying it poses a threat not only to India but to the entire South Asian region."It's not only a question of South Asia. We are the 4th largest economy. What will happen? Do you want all this carnage to spread to different parts of South Asia? No. It is in the interest of world peace to control Pakistan, which is the main sponsor of terrorism," he said."There was this one terrorist called Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi – no country in the world would allow a terrorist who's facing a terror charge (come out of jail). But he became a father to a son while sitting in prison. However, the trial progressed immediately when Pakistan was put on the Grey List (of FATF)," said urged the global community and the global anti-terror financing body to put Pakistan back on the Grey List in a bid to clip its wings.
Hindustan Times
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Asaduddin Owaisi exposes Pakistan in Algeria: ‘Terrorist Lakhvi became father while being in jail'
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Pakistan over its dubious record on fostering terrorism, saying Islamabad's tactics to shelter terrorists fuel instability in South Asia. Addressing the Indian community in Algeria as part of an all-party parliamentary delegation, Owaisi also gave an example of Islamabad's complicity in terrorism, saying that a terrorist had become a father while officially being incarcerated in Pakistan. In a hard-hitting remark, the Hyderabad MP pointed to Pakistan's special treatment of terrorist Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in jail. 'There was this one terrorist called Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi – no country in the world would allow a terrorist who's facing a terror charge (come out of jail). But he became a father to a son while sitting in prison. However, the trial progressed immediately when Pakistan was put on the Grey List (of FATF),' Owaisi said, highlighting how international pressure had briefly forced Pakistan to act. Asaduddin Owaisi expressed hope that if Pakistan is placed back on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List – a global watchdog that monitors countries for terror financing – terror incidents in India would decline. Owaisi warned that the issue was no longer just a regional concern, saying, 'It's not only a question of South Asia. We are the 4th largest economy. What will happen? Do you want all this carnage to spread to different parts of South Asia,' he asked. 'It is in the interest of world peace to control Pakistan, which is the main sponsor of terrorism. It has to be brought back in the FATF Grey List,' Owaisi added. Speaking about the roots of terrorism, he further said, 'Terrorism survives on two things: ideology and money. Ideology, you know very well, you have seen the Black Decade, even in South Algeria, you still have some problems. On that point, we are together.' 'Once you bring Pakistan back in the Grey List, we will see a decrease in terrorism in India. We'll see killings coming down. We have the 2018 experience when Algeria and other countries helped India,' he said. Owaisi also linked Pakistan's ideology to that of international terrorist groups, saying, 'Pakistan is the epicentre of Takfirism and there is no difference in ideology between the terrorist groups in Pakistan and Daesh and Al-Qaeda." The AIMIM leader went on to say, "They believe that they have a religious sanction, which is completely wrong. Islam does not allow the killing of any person, and unfortunately, that is their ideology,' he added. Owaisi pointed out the growing ties between India and Algeria, he said, 'We (India and Algeria) signed a defence MoU in November (2024), and I'm sure that this will increase understanding and strengthen our relationship. Hopefully, our Prime Minister will come to Algeria very soon. Hopefully, the President of Algeria will come to India. This will be a very good step in the right direction.' The comments came as India continues its diplomatic outreach, sending delegations abroad to build international pressure against terrorism and tell its side of the story in the wake of the brutal Pahalgam terror attack and India's military response under Operation Sindoor. The delegation observed a moment of silence for the victims of the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack, which killed 26 people on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir. On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor, a targeted strike on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Over 100 terrorists from groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen were killed. Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and drone attacks, which led to further Indian strikes damaging 11 Pakistani air bases. On May 10, both countries agreed to a temporary ceasefire. (With ANI inputs)
India Gazette
29-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
All-party delegation led by Baijayant Panda interacts with Gulf Research Center Chairman and Founder Abdulaziz Al Sager
Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], May 29 (ANI): The all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, which is visiting several countries as part of the government of India's big diplomatic outreach in the wake of Operation Sindoor, interacted with Abdulaziz Al Sager, the Chairman and Founder of the Gulf Research Center, on Thursday. According to its official website, the Gulf Research Center was founded in July 2000 with a vision to conduct scholarly, high-quality research on all aspects of the wider Gulf region, including the six member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Iran, Iraq, and Yemen. During the delegation's engagements on Thursday, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday informed the Saudi officials that Pakistan is propagating terrorism and targeting Indian citizens, and urged them to bring Pakistan back to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List to curb terror financing. '27 lakh members of the Indian diaspora reside and work in the Kingdom of Saudi the delegation met, we told them how Pakistan is propagating terrorism and how Indian citizens are targeted. We told them that Pakistan should be brought back to the FATF Grey List. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a member of the FATF. They helped us in 2018,' Owaisi told ANI. He is part of a multi-party delegation led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Baijayant Panda under Operation Sindoor outreach to convey India's unified stance against terrorism and seek international support to hold Pakistan accountable. During his visit, Owaisi interacted with Saudi officials and highlighted Pakistan's false propaganda about India. He emphasised that India is home to over 14.5 crore proud Muslims, showcasing the country's rich Islamic heritage and esteemed scholars, thereby refuting Pakistan's claims of representing all Muslims. Owaisi said that the multi-party delegation met with Abdullah ibn Muhammad, head of Saudi Arabia's Shura Council, and Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Regarding concerns raised over the issue of talks between India and Pakistan, he added that talks were held after the Mumbai terror attack and the Pathankot attack. Still, they yielded no results and only losses. In a strong demonstration of India's united political front against terrorism, an all-party parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to strengthen diplomatic ties and explore avenues of cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia. Maj Gen Abdulrahman Alharbi, Chair of the India-Saudi Arabia Council Friendship Committee of the Shura Council, warmly welcomed the delegation. Owaisi is a member of the delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, also includes BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP Phangnon Konyak; BJP MP Rekha Sharma; AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi; Satnam Singh Sandhu MP; Ghulam Nabi Azad; and Ambassador Harsh Shringla. The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria. The all-party delegation, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, has been initiated to counter global misinformation and highlight India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. (ANI)
