THE designation of the Balochistan Liberation Army’s (BLA) wing Majeed Brigade as a ‘global terrorist group’ by the United States, coupled with Pakistan’s successful foiling of a major terrorist attack planned for 14th August, yet again brings into sharp focus the financing pipelines for sustaining terrorism networks in the region.
The trail of evidence points not to faceless actors but to a deliberate pattern of Indian covert sponsorship, aimed at keeping Pakistan perpetually destabilised. This is neither new nor speculative. For years, Islamabad has placed before the world community most notably the United Nations dossiers mapping financial trails, operational linkages, and the undeniable footprints of Indian complicity.
In November 2020, Pakistan submitted a dossier to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres accusing India of stoking “terrorism” in Pakistan. This particular dossier from Pakistan included names of alleged Indian intelligence agents, dates of alleged meetings, audio clips of purported intercepted phone conversations and documentation of bank transfers, profound tangible proof presented by Pakistan.
This was unprecedented in recent history. It was not empty accusations, a norm practiced by India. The recognition of the Majeed Brigade as a terrorist group by the US in 2025, validates Pakistan’s and China’s point of view and its long-standing claims, which were conveniently brushed aside in the past. The question that naturally arises is: should India’s role not come under the scrutiny of international watchdogs like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)? Pakistan’s experience with FATF has been harsh and prolonged. For years, India lobbied aggressively, often successfully, to keep Pakistan on the grey list. It is a matter of record that between 2018 and 2022, India pushed relentlessly in FATF plenaries and review meetings for Pakistan to remain grey-listed, using its diplomatic clout and influence. India itself boasted that its efforts were instrumental in “exposing Pakistan’s role in terror financing” and in pushing FATF to act against Pakistan.
India, however, has mastered the art of narrative management. It projects itself as a bulwark of democracy, an economic powerhouse, and a strategic counterweight to China. In doing so, it has successfully cultivated allies in Washington, Brussels, and beyond. These allies have consistently muted criticism of New Delhi’s destabilising adventures in Pakistan, including the sponsorship of separatist outfits like the BLA and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. When the same charges were levelled against Pakistan, the international response was always swift and punitive FATF grey-listing, compliance regimes, and relentless pressure. Yet when credible disclosures point towards India’s hand, the silence is deafening.
FATF’s latest evaluation of India, released in June 2024, gave it a largely clean slate. Technically, India does not meet the triggers that place a country on the grey list, let alone the blacklist. And this is where India’s geopolitical maneuvering comes in, New Delhi has been extremely smart in ticking the boxes. This global positioning acts as a shield, insulating India from active scrutiny.
It is important for Pakistan to highlight the inherent double standards at play. FATF’s credibility is compromised when one country is hounded for years despite making demonstrable progress, Pakistan was finally removed from the grey list in October 2022 after fulfilling 34-point action plans while another country, with credible allegations of financing groups like the BLA and TTP, remains above reproach.
Pakistani intelligence agencies unearthed Jadhav’s extensive terrorist network, which was responsible for targeting innocent Pakistani lives. During interrogation, he confessed to conducting operations in Pakistan under the direct orders of the Indian government and RAW. The revelations that followed highlighted the breadth of India’s covert operations, not only in Pakistan but also in countries such as Canada and the United States, where similar activities later came to light.He remains in Pakistan’s custody to date.
In 2025, an Indian national, Usman, alias Abdur Rehman was arrested by security forces at the Chaman border in Balochistan while attempting to cross into Pakistan using Afghan identification documents. He was under surveillance since 2024 and he has now been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Pakistan on charges of espionage and terrorism, once again drawing attention to New Delhi’s state-sponsored activities inside the country. His dual citizenship, Indian and Afghan, has raised fresh concerns about cross-border espionage and terrorism networks. The Pakistani government has urged international bodies to take note of India’s interference by using a third country against Pakistan.
In October 2024 only, Pakistan and China had jointly sought to add the BLA Wing Majeed Brigade to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions list, which would trigger asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes. The move, however, met resistance ostensibly due to a “lack of sufficient evidence” and the need for unanimous support among permanent UNSC members. The designation of the Majeed Brigade and the foiled 14th August plot provide a timely opening to once again push for it. Banking transactions, operational evidence, and international intelligence-sharing can form the basis of a dossier for FATF and other multilateral forums. The demand should be simple: if FATF is about integrity and fairness, India’s role must also be examined more critically. Selective accountability only deepens mistrust and fuels regional instability.
Applying deductive logic, Pakistan has a solid case against India, under the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (ICSFT),states bear responsibility to prevent and prosecute terrorist financing, and failure to do so constitutes a breach of treaty obligations. Also, through the Principle of Attribution in International Law, any financing of armed groups or operations linked to Indian state organs or agents can be attributed to India itself. Pakistan has already provided more than sufficient evidence that financing from India supports acts of terrorism within its territory, thereby demonstrating systemic non-compliance with international counter-terrorism financing norms. While the FATF does not adjudicate bilateral disputes, it assesses member states’ adherence to global Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) standards. Thus, Pakistan has irrefutable evidence of India’s deficiencies in implementing the FATF Recommendations. Pakistan strongly urges FATF to scrutinize India’s financial networks and regulatory mechanisms more closely. Yes, India ticks the boxes but blatantly violates FATF in letter and in spirit.
Footnote: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) 2025 press release, further endorses Pakistan’s position on terrorism, unequivocally condemning all forms and manifestations of this global menace. The SCO emphasised that double standards in the fight against terrorism are unacceptable. It strongly condemned the attacks on the Jaffar Express and the school bus in Khuzdar.
