Athens, Dec 9 (NationPress) Pakistani terrorist organizations such as Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are taking advantage of the ongoing crisis in Gaza to gather funds aimed at rebuilding their terrorist infrastructure and recruiting new members for their anti-India operations, according to a report released on Friday.

The report highlights that Pakistani state agencies have pinpointed vulnerabilities in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international entity focused on combating money laundering and terrorist financing, following Islamabad’s recent greylisting. Consequently, these groups have modified their methods of financing terror.

“A troubling trend is emerging in Pakistan as UN-designated terrorist groups, including Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), are soliciting funds under the guise of Gaza relief efforts. Notably, family members of JeM Chief Masood Azhar have been reported to be directly involved in these new funding schemes,” stated a report from Athens-based Geopolitico.

“In an effort to evade international scrutiny from organizations like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), these organizations have adapted their fundraising strategies to gather donations from within Pakistan and the Gulf nations. They are now accepting contributions directly into their wallets instead of traditional bank accounts to bypass FATF oversight,” it explained.

The report also mentions that the recent Israel-Hamas conflict, which escalated after the vicious Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, has provided a convenient cover for these Pakistan-based terror groups to amplify their fundraising activities.

According to Geopolitico, “Azhar’s son, Hammad Azhar, and his brother Talha al-Saif are leading efforts to gather funds for terror operations disguised as Gaza aid. They are utilizing online platforms like Easypaisa, cryptocurrencies, and digital wallets to collect money for religious purposes, which includes the reconstruction of over 300 mosques and other amenities.”

“Since the early 1990s, these organizations have been accumulating funds from Pakistani diaspora networks in the Gulf and Western nations through fraudulent charitable fronts, ostensibly for relief operations. A significant portion of these funds has been redirected towards terrorist activities in India, contributing to instability in Jammu and Kashmir and high-profile attacks such as the 2008 Mumbai attacks,” it added.

The report emphasizes the necessity for the international community and FATF to closely monitor the terror financing and money laundering activities in Pakistan to avert future crises in the Indian subcontinent that could threaten millions of lives.

“It is crucial that Pakistan-sponsored terrorism is comprehensively recognized on the international stage, and the leadership of terror organizations like JeM and LeT should be placed on international blacklists,” it concluded.