FEDERAL government has proscribed eighty-eight leaders and members of terrorist groups in compliance with the new list issued by the United Nations Security Council. Two notifications to this effect were issued the other day announcing sanctions on key figures of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Taliban, Daesh, Haqqani Group, Al-Qaeda and others. The notifications also order seizure of their moveable and immovable properties and freezing of their bank accounts. These groups have been barred from transferring money through financial institutions, purchasing arms and travelling aboard etc.
These actions once again clearly speak volume about Pakistan’s unwavering commitment against terrorism. In fact, Pakistan is the only country which has suffered the most both in terms of human and economic losses from this menace and it was out of its own compulsion that relentless operations were launched against the terrorist outfits. In this pursuit, our security personnel also embraced martyrdom and our people became the victim of terrorism. The resilient Pakistani nation clearly has demonstrated that the values of enlightenment, compassion and empathy that bind us together are much stronger than the forces of intolerance, hatred and violence that aim to divide. However what is disappointing that the world community has never recognized our anti-terror efforts the way it should have. Rather its hands were twisted by putting it in the grey list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. Pakistan has also gone a step forward in compliance of the FATF action plan by taking necessary administrative and legislative measures to curb money laundering and terrorism financing. Time has come that the world recognizes these efforts and help Pakistan get off the FATF’s grey list. It is for the FATF to act in an impartial and fair manner instead of playing in the hands of few countries. It must also be seen whether other countries such as India are in compliance of the action plan that was given to Pakistan, and why the world is silent when the terrorism is being perpetrated against Muslims in occupied Jammu and Kashmir as well as minorities in India.
