Ottawa, Feb 7 (NationPress) The decision to remove Pakistan from the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – identified as “jurisdictions under increased monitoring” – has been deemed “premature”. This assessment arises amidst the resurgence of domestic terrorist factions such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, whose ongoing operational capabilities indicate a failure to comply with the global money laundering and terror financing oversight.

This situation highlights Pakistan's insufficient control over its internal terror financing networks. More concerningly, there is evidence suggesting that certain state elements are not only tolerating but may be actively facilitating the resurgence of these terrorist organizations, according to a report.

“During the Davos meeting, Pakistan committed to joining President Trump’s new ‘Board of Peace’, alongside several other countries with inconsistent records on governance and human rights. Originally aimed at overseeing the Gaza ceasefire, this initiative seems to be expanding into a larger project intended to reshape global governance, bypassing the United Nations frameworks,” a report from Canada’s Geopolitical Monitor elaborates.

“This initiative allows Islamabad to enhance its image as a responsible global actor; however, recent developments, especially in the past year, raise questions about Pakistan’s credibility in such a role. Unresolved risks related to terrorist financing still exist, necessitating greater scrutiny as the FATF’s February plenary approaches,” the report continued.

In October 2022, the FATF announced that Pakistan would no longer be classified as “under increased monitoring”.

Earlier that same year, a Pakistani court sentenced Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, to 31 years in prison.

Although he was accused of orchestrating several mass casualty attacks, including the infamous 2008 Mumbai attacks, the charges leading to Saeed’s conviction were restricted to terrorist financing.

“Saeed’s long-standing immunity in Pakistan had been a significant issue in the FATF’s scrutiny, making his 2022 conviction a perceived prerequisite for the country’s removal from the grey list,” the report indicated.

“Yet, over three years later, Pakistan appears to have reverted to previous behaviors that initially attracted FATF’s attention, with Lashkar-e-Taiba, its splinter groups, including The Resistance Front (TRF), and other notable terror organizations like Jaish-e-Mohammad continuing to operate and gather funds without hindrance,” it noted.

In light of these developments, the report concludes, “It is once again imperative that Pakistan is reconsidered for increased monitoring by the FATF, with the upcoming February plenary serving as a critical juncture for action.”