Even as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) assesses Islamabad’s compliance with an action plan against terrorist financing, India on Thursday accused Pakistan of continuing to protect terrorist groups and of failing to act against UN-designated terrorists as the head of Jaish-e-Mohammed. Masood Azhar and Dawood Ibrahim.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava told a weekly press conference that Pakistan had addressed only 21 out of 27 points in an action plan given by the FATF to curb terrorist financing and money laundering. His comments came in the context of the virtual plenary meeting of the multilateral watchdog, which is expected to decide on Friday to keep Pakistan on its “gray list.”
Srivastava said Pakistani forces arranged along the Line of Control (LoC) had carried out “3,800 unprovoked ceasefire violations” this year as part of efforts to push terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir. There were also efforts to drop weapons and ammunition across the ceasefire line and smuggle weapons and narcotics across the international border using drones, he said.
“As is well known, Pakistan continues to provide safe havens to terrorist entities and individuals and has also failed to take any action against various terrorist entities and individuals, including those outlawed by the UN Security Council, such as [JeM chief] MasoodAzhar, Dawood Ibrahim and (Lashkar-e-Taiba operations commander) Zakirur Rahman Lakhvi, ”he said.
“It is understood that Pakistan has addressed only 21 action points so far out of the total 27 points of the FATF action plan. There are still six important action points to be addressed, ”he said.
Although Srivastava did not elaborate, people familiar with the developments said that these six elements included actions against nonprofits and charities used by terrorist groups such as JeM and LeT to raise funds, and the prosecution of people linked to illegal financial activities. of terrorism. groups.
Srivastava noted that the FATF has well established standards and procedures for putting a country on its gray list or list of nations under increased supervision and its black list or list of “high risk jurisdictions subject to a call to action.” After a country is included in a list, it is assigned an action plan that will be implemented within a stipulated time frame.
He said that those who are found to be in default of their obligations are “held accountable and subject to appropriate actions.” He added that the issue of Pakistan’s compliance is being considered by the FATF virtual plenary meeting that will end on Friday.
In February, the FATF warned Pakistan that all deadlines for implementing the action plan had expired. Pakistan is expected to remain on the gray list.
Srivastava accused Pakistani troops of continuing to engage in unprovoked ceasefire violations, often from civilian areas, to “support the infiltration of terrorists into the LoC.” This, he said, is a clear violation of the 2003 ceasefire agreement between the two parties.
“This year to date, Pakistani forces have carried out 3,800 unprovoked ceasefire violations. There have also been attempts to drop weapons and ammunition through the LoC in the garb of civilian activities. We have also witnessed Pakistan’s aid and complicity in cross-border terrorism [and] the smuggling of weapons and narcotic substances has spread to the international border, including through the use of drones and quadcopters, ”he said.
India has maintained that there can be no dialogue with Pakistan until the neighboring country stops supporting cross-border terrorism.
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