Pak asks militants to lie low in J&K till FATF meet in Oct

SRINAGAR:Pakistan has asked all militant groups operating in Kashmir, including Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba, to lie low till the October meeting of the international watchdog against money laundering and financing of terrorism — the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Pak asks militants to lie low in J&K.

Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 1

Pakistan has asked all militant groups operating in Kashmir, including Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba, to lie low till the October meeting of the international watchdog against money laundering and financing of terrorism — the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The FATF, at its June meeting in Florida, had set an October deadline for Pakistan to fix the deficiencies in its anti-money laundering measures and in combating financing of terrorism so as to avoid degradation from the grey list to being blacklisted.

Getting on the FATF blacklist could cripple the neighbouring country financially.

Islamabad is banking on the support of the United States in light of the renewed bonhomie between the two countries following Pakistan premier Imran Khan’s visit, which saw US President Donald Trump offering to mediate or arbitrate in Kashmir, that was followed by a strong rebuttal by New Delhi.

Before Khan undertook the visit to Washington, Pakistan had arrested JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and his associates to showcase its seriousness in the fight against terrorism. “But all this is an eyewash. Imran Khan is basically concerned over the FATF listing. It is with this line of thinking that the Pakistan establishment has asked the terror outfits to lie low in Kashmir,” sources said.

The militant outfits, as per sources who have been monitoring the situation post the US visit of Pakistan premier, army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI head Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, have been told “not to plan any attacks till the FATF meets and Pakistan manages to get a clean chit, which is crucial for it to get the foreign investment it so desperately needs”.

There has been no major militant action in the Valley in the recent past, while the security forces have recorded stunning successes in the anti-militancy operations, including the decimation of the JeM leadership in Kashmir that had executed the February 14 Pulwama terror attack.

Watchdog scanner

Getting on the FATF blacklist could have a wide-ranging impact on Pakistan’s economy
Could result in denial of loans, development funds its crippling economy needs
The FATF, in June, had set an October deadline for Pakistan to take decisive corrective measures to combat terror financing and money laundering