Daily Times

The partial happiness of avoiding the FATF blacklisting comes with a much serious concern that Pakistan has to stay on the grey list for the next four months. So, the sword of blacklisting will keep hanging on our heads. In February 2020, the FATF will, once again, review the quality of the compliance, made by Pakistan, to address the deficiencies identified by the international watchdog. Though Pakistan has shown a gradual improvement in the required fields and the same was acknowledged by FATF authorities during the recent three-day meeting, which took place at Paris from October 16 to October 18, under the presidency of China.

As per the FATF’s official record available online, the meeting in Paris was attended by 800 delegates of 205 jurisdictions, which discussed 15 agenda points falling under three broadheads: Major Strategic Reviews; Mutual Evaluations and Follow-up and Other Strategic Reviews.

Matters related to Pakistan were a part of mutual evaluations and follow-up portion, which, in total, comprised nine agenda points related to Turkey, Spain, Russia, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Mongolia, Zimbabwe, Iceland, Denmark, Singapore and Pakistan. As per the agenda list, the forum had to see Pakistan’s actions in addressing deficiencies in its AML/CFT measures. So, it is obvious that the FATF’s concerns about Pakistan revolve around countermeasures to deal with money laundering and terror financing. Pakistan was given a 27-points action plan to upgrade the internal mechanism of monitoring financial transactions of varying natures. Finance Minister Hammad Azhar represented Pakistan’s progress during the meeting and managed to avoid blacklisting by staying in the grey list for the next four months.

According to the prevailing political culture, infected with immaturity, admirers of the ruling party have started celebrations over the FATF episode at a time when a more serious head is required at the shoulders of decision-makers for the upcoming meeting in February 2020. Though FATF has acknowledged and positively welcomed the partial compliance made by Pakistan, under its new government in the past one year by grading it “Tangible Progress,” but at the same time President Xiangmin Liu pointed out that the majority of the issues under the given action plan remained outstanding, including effective measures to prevent terror financing. He reminded that despite a high-level commitment from Pakistan to fix its weaknesses, the allocated deadline had passed without making any progress. Xiangmin made the intentions clear with these remarks, “The main purpose of giving a warning to Pakistan is not to punish, but rather to incentivise it, to make more changes and make those changes faster.”

As per the FATF press release, Pakistan has largely addressed five out of a total of 27 points of the action plan and made progress of varying levels for the rest. This acknowledgement of partial progress has come with a clear warning of blacklisting in the upcoming meeting, provided the issues would remain unaddressed and the concerned quarters would stay unmoved.

The international watchdog is primarily concerned about money laundering and terror financing issues

With such a state of affairs, celebrations and appreciations should be replaced with vigorous pursuance and focused compliance of the FATF action plan. Deliberate view of the FATF detailed report on Pakistan’s follow-up clearly revealed that the international watchdog is primarily concerned about money laundering and terror financing issues. Leaving aside the compliance being pursued by the government under the supervision of the finance ministry, a need is felt to dig out the hidden roots of terror financing attached to the regional and global tug-of-war. Pakistan’s historic war against terrorism and massive sacrifice of the nation are undeniable facts of this era. Pakistan is still fighting foreign-sponsored terrorism all across the country. Hardcore terrorists operating against an organised standing army cannot stand a day without sound financial support and flawless mechanism of money flow. The fact of the matter cannot be denied that Pakistan is actually the victim of terror financing. India, through RAW and its proxies in Afghanistan, is actively involved in funding terrorists to fan separatist sentiments in Balochistan with an aim to sabotage the CPEC project. Eventually, as per New Delhi’s design, all of this has to culminate at Pakistan’s disintegration and economic coercion. Interestingly, India was seen proactively striving to put Pakistan on the blacklist because the stern step would bring unaffordable economic consequences for Islamabad.

A little deliberation on the recent happenings is enough to connect the dots. On all international forums, India is portraying Pakistan as a country involved in financing the terrorists. Whereas, the reality is 180 degrees opposite to Indian propaganda. The world needs to understand that Pakistan is the victim of Indian terror funding. This matter came in the limelight at ICJ as well when India came for the rescue of her spy, Kal Bhushan Jhadev, shamelessly. Pakistan should expose to the world this multi-layered anti-Pakistan policy through diplomatic campaigning and backchannel interactions. Instead of presenting clerical style progress at the FATF Forum, Pakistan should discuss the issue of terror financing and money laundering in the true context of Indian-sponsored terrorism as well as globally acknowledged achievements attained by the nation in the war against terror. It is a known fact that the free flow of unaccounted money from Afghanistan cannot be curtailed with an existing long porous border. Pakistan is undertaking the uphill task of fencing the Afghan border, which in its present state, facilitates intruders and Indian-sponsored terrorists in spoiling its peace matrix.

Islamabad should take up a case to put India and Afghanistan on a special watch list of FATF as the hardcore terrorists operating in Pakistan are regularly getting funds from RAW networks and Afghan-based proxies, as divulged and confessed by Indian Naval officer Kal Bhushan Jhadev. Terror financing in Pakistan should be thoroughly investigated in the prevailing regional context, sharply linked with India and Afghanistan. Besides this, the compliance of pending points of the action plan must not be left at the mercy of disinterested bureaucracy, which is habitual of leaving the ends loose.

The writer is a freelance columnist