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Pakistan bans charities linked to Hafiz Saeed: The truth behind the farce

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Arindam De
Arindam DeFeb 15, 2018 | 15:18

Pakistan bans charities linked to Hafiz Saeed: The truth behind the farce

Pakistan has officially banned two charities linked to 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed - the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF). According to this Reuters report, the action came days before a meeting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global money laundering watchdog, which will consider a US-sponsored motion to place Pakistan on a list of countries failing to prevent terrorism financing.

Interestingly, Pakistan has had banned the JuD thrice in the past - 2005, 2008 and 2012. The JuD is the frontal organisation of the LeT. Incidentally, in July last year, Pakistan had banned JuD's rebranded outfit, Tehreek Azadi Jammu and Kashmir (TAJK). For the record, two more JuD rebranded outfits still remain functional - Muttahida Talba Mahaz and Milli Muslim League Pakistan - besides the FIF student wing Al Muhammadiya Students.

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Has Pakistan turned over a new leaf when it comes to aiding, harbouring and nurturing terrorists and terrorist organisations? Or has it finally heeded the warnings of US president Donald Trump and India? Well, unlikely.

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Even as Pakistan president Mamnoon Hussain was in the process of signing the ordinance banning JuD and FIF, Pakistani terrorists were attacking targets in India. Before that Hafiz Saeed had approached the courts against the Pakistan government's proposed takeover of the finances of his charities. So what has exactly happened? The the deep state in Pakistan probably feels that the FATF can take punitive action against the country if it is found to be complicit in terror financing.

Any such action would escalate the cost of doing international and domestic business. The ban just ahead of the FATF meeting (February 18 to 23 ) follows Pakistan National Security Committee order "directing" concerned ministries to complete "outstanding actions at the earliest" for ensuring compliance with the FATF's requirements.

The issue has been brewing for a while now. In June last year, the Paris-based watchdog had slammed Pakistan for continued complicity in financing terror entities, saying that UN-designated terrorist groups were receiving funding due to lack of "official" control. In November 2017, the FATF had asked Pakistan to submit an "action taken report" in the meeting in Paris.

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What proved to be game-changing was that the FATF resolution was pushed through despite strong opposition from China. In Novermber last year, in the FATF meet in Buenos Aires, India had raised the issue of Pakistan supporting terrorist organisations even as China found itself isolated after the other 36 member nations backed India. India successfully provided detailed evidence before the FAFT on activities of terror groups and said Pakistan so far could seize only 70-odd accounts of the JuD and the FIF in the last decade and a half. That may yet land Pakistan in some soup with the FATF "gray listing" the country.

Last updated: August 28, 2018 | 17:45
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