A day before the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary is to conclude, India Thursday said Pakistan is yet to act on dreaded and UN proscribed terrorists such as Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
FATF’s October plenary, which is presently underway in virtual format for the first time, will conclude Friday, taking a final call on whether or not Pakistan should be blacklisted for its failure to take actions against terrorists.
The FATF plenary, which is the watchdog’s highest decision-making body, will next meet in February 2021.
“It is understood that Pakistan has addressed only 21 action items so far out of total 27-point FATF action plan. Six important action items are yet to be addressed. As is well known, Pakistan continues to provide safe havens to terrorist entities and individuals and has also not yet taken any action against several terrorist entities and individuals including those proscribed by the UNSC such as Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim, Zakir-ur-Rahman Lakhvi etc,” Anurag Srivastava, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs said Thursday.
Addressing a media briefing, Srivastava added, “FATF has well laid out standards and procedures for putting a country in its Black List and Grey List. After a country is put on a List, an action plan is given to it and the country concerned is expected to fully complete the action plan within the stipulated time. Those found wanting in implementing their obligations are held accountable and subjected to appropriate action.”
The FATF, in its October 2019 plenary, had given Pakistan time till February 2020 to meet its targets.
In June 2018, the global financing watchdog had set a 27-point action plan for Pakistan, which it was expected to meet by October 2019. But Pakistan could only fulfil five targets at that time.
‘Pakistan attempted to drop arms close to the LoC’
On the issue of continued ceasefire violation, Srivastava said Pakistan has engaged itself in “unprovoked ceasefire violations, often from civilian areas, to support infiltration of terrorists across the LoC (Line of Control)”.
“This is a clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding between the two sides … This year, till date, Pakistani forces have carried out more than 3,800 unprovoked ceasefire violations. There have also been attempts to drop arms and ammunition close to the LoC in the garb of civilian activities,” he stressed.
Srivastava also said, “We have also witnessed that Pakistan’s aid and abetment to cross-border terrorism, smuggling of arms and narcotic substances have spilled over to the International Boundary including through the usage of drones and quadcopters. Such violations are regularly highlighted to Pakistan through diplomatic channels and at the regular DGMO level talks.”
