"Pakistan should be brought back to FATF Grey List": Asaduddin Owaisi in Riyadh

Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], May 29 (ANI): All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday informed the Saudi officials that Pakistan is propagating terrorism and targeting Indian citizens, and urged them to bring Pakistan back to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List to curb terror financing.

He is part of a multi-party delegation led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Baijayant Panda under Operation Sindoor outreach to convey India's unified stance against terrorism and seek international support to hold Pakistan accountable.

During his visit, Owaisi interacted with Saudi officials and highlighted Pakistan's false propaganda about India. He said that the delegation apprised officials as well as the diaspora members from India about the terrorism propagated by Pakistan against Indian citizens.

"27 lakh members of the Indian diaspora reside and work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia...Whoever the delegation met, we told them how Pakistan is propagating terrorism and how Indian citizens are targeted. We told them that Pakistan should be brought back to the FATF Grey List. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a member of the FATF. They helped us in 2018," Owaisi told ANI.

He emphasised that India is home to over 14.5 crore proud Muslims, showcasing the country's rich Islamic heritage and esteemed scholars, thereby refuting Pakistan's claims of representing all Muslims.

Owaisi said that the multi-party delegation met with Abdullah ibn Muhammad, head of Saudi Arabia's Shura Council, and Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Regarding concerns raised over the issue of talks between India and Pakistan, he added that talks were held after the Mumbai terror attack and Pathankot. Still, they yielded no results and only losses.

"It was a good meeting. They, too, had some concerns. They asked us what could be done about the talks. We told them we talked after 26/11, after Pathankot, but it yielded no result. Instead, we suffered a loss. So, all in all, we presented all of this before them. We told them about Pakistan's propaganda - we told them that around 14.5 crore Muslims live in India. And what they (Pakistan) say is absolutely wrong," Owaisi said.

Owaisi pointed out that despite receiving significant financial aid from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan's economy is not stabilising, and the funds are not being utilised for the welfare of the poor. Specifically, he mentioned that Saudi Arabia provided $2 billion in aid to Pakistan last year and a $3 billion loan in 2024.

He compared Pakistan's defense budget, which is 2.6% of its GDP, to India's 1.9%, highlighting the disparity in military spending between the two nations.

Owaisi discussed the recent Pahalgam terror attack and assured the Saudi officials that India is working to resolve such issues, while also exposing Pakistan's alleged role in promoting terrorism.

"We told them that Saudi Arabia gave Pakistan 2 billion USD in aid last year. In 2024, Saudi Arabia gave them a loan of 3 billion USD. We told them Pakistan's economy is not stabilising, and the money is not being used for the poor. We told them that Pakistan's defence budget is 2.6% of its GDP, whereas India's is 1.9%. The Ulemas in Pakistan are no match for the Ulemas in India...We told them how work is being done in India, how Ulemas are working there, and how Pakistani propaganda is a lie. What they did in Pahalgam, we said that there are problems in our country as well, but we are trying to resolve this," Owaisi said.

In a strong demonstration of India's united political front against terrorism, an all-party parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to strengthen diplomatic ties and explore avenues of cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia.

Maj Gen Abdulrahman Alharbi, Chair of the India-Saudi Arabia Council Friendship Committee of the Shura Council, warmly welcomed the delegation.

This multi-party delegation includes BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Satnam Singh Sandhu, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former diplomat Harsh Shringla.

The multi-party delegations, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, have been initiated to counter Pakistan's misinformation on terrorism and highlight India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)