This Monday, a delegation of the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) — a regional affiliate of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) — arrived in Islamabad to hold talks that will last three days and assess Pakistan’s progress in curbing money laundering and terror financing. Should this delegation not be satisfied with the progress made after meeting with officials from the State Bank, Ministry of Finance, Federal Investigation Agency and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan; the country’s name will remain on the grey list and be made to follow a new action plan against terror financing and money laundering. Pakistan has been on the grey list for over a year now, and had received directives from the FATF to take stricter action against money laundering last month. In early March, taskforce had also pointed out 8,707 suspicious transactions that had taken place in the country in 2018. Luckily, the APG delegation’s visit is happening right after a crackdown on groups and militant outfits blacklisted by the United Nations. 120 people have been taken into administrative detention and at least 200 schools, seminaries and hospitals have been seized by the government in an operation that was launched on March 4. This includes the assets of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a charitable organisation long known to be a front for the militant Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT). The JuD has also had its Lahore office sealed and it’s members have admitted to the press that the government is indeed coming down on them very hard. LeT and JuD leader Hafiz Saeed has also been banned from leading Friday prayers. The government’s actions are highly praiseworthy. Though space for anti-Pakistan groups shrunk drastically following the launch of the military operation Zarb-e-Azb in 2014, organisations that have targeted neighbouring countries have continued to be able to operate in subsequent years. This must change, as these groups endanger both Pakistan’s economy — as shown by the country’s grey listing by the FATF — and its security, as shown by Indian actions following the Pulwama Attack in Indian Occupied Kashmir, which was allegedly conducted by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad. FATF or no FATF, the government and law enforcement agencies must remain steadfast in this effort. Pakistan must be cleared of militants of all hue and colour once and for all. This is the only way Pakistan can move towards a brighter future, cleansing itself of the stigma of being associated with terrorists and improving diplomatic ties with countries in the region and beyond. * Published in Daily Times, March 26th 2019.