'World should be suspicious of Pakistan's actions as it's an attempt to satisfy FATF'

Sentencing 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi to 15 years in prison by the Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court clearly signals that Pakistan is doing it simply to satisfy the FATF and not because the nation is genuinely interested in crushing the terrorist organizations and putting them out of business, says Sushant Sareen, International affairs expert on Pakistan and a senior fellow with ORF. A report by Chandrakala Choudhury, senior correspondent, ETV Bharat.

New Delhi:Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court on Friday sentenced 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi to 15 years in prison for terror financing charges.

This can be viewed as a desperate attempt by Pakistan to keep itself out of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ‘blacklist’.

International affairs expert on Pakistan and a senior fellow with ORF, Sushant Sareen said, ”I think, we need not appreciate and celebrate what the Pakistanis are doing. We need to be careful and suspicious of their actions. Firstly, what we need to be suspicious is that, just days or weeks before a FATF resumes, we suddenly hear of this kind of convictions by Pakistan. These are not happening in a normal course regularly- that there is a sudden crackdown taking place and the terrorists are being booked.”

“Clearly, these sentences are being announced by Pakistan with an eye on the FATF meeting scheduled to be held early next month, to show that high profile terrorists are being convicted of terror financing charges. It is a clear signal that Pakistan is doing it simply to satisfy the FATF and not because the nation is genuinely interested in crushing the terrorist organizations and putting them out of business,” he added.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF)- the global terror financing watchdog, during its three-day virtual plenary meeting held earlier on October, has decided not to remove Pakistan from the ‘grey list’ but at the same time strongly warned Pakistan to swiftly completes its full action plan by February 2021.

It reiterated that repeated failure to deliver on FATF’s action plan would result in a country being put in the 'blacklist'.

Sareen said, “It is not just these two cases, there had been a spate of cases now. All of these notorious terrorists, who Pakistan has always denied, have been involved in terrorism. They are now not been booked under charges of terrorism but charges of terror financing. Clearly, at one level, it is a way of protecting them from terrorism charges, which would mandate a death sentence on these fellows and book them under a lighter charge, but it is also like ‘killing a second bird with one stone’ which is that Pakistan satisfies the FATF requirements. Pakistan has to show the FATF not only that they have passed the laws, but are implementing laws against these terrorists."

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan’s anti-terrorism court issued an arrest warrant for Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar on the charges of terror financing case.

Pakistan’s anti-terrorism court Gujranwala judge Natasha supra issued an arrest warrant against JeM chief Masood Azhar, on the request of CTD inspector in terror financing case.

The court directed that Masood Azhar be arrested and produced in court on January 8. On Jan 2, Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki Ur Lakhvi was also arrested on similar charges.

Sareen further underlines that the most sinister attempt by Pakistan is that these convictions are by the anti-terrorism court which is a lower court or trial court.

“The verdict can be appealed in the high court and the Supreme Court. And none of us knows how well the cases have been argued or how water-tight the cases are? I am deeply suspicious about the death sentences because it is quite likely that although the sentences have been passed to satisfy the international opinion, the cases are so weak that the moment it is taken up by the High Court, it will strike down and the terrorists will be set free. That is how Pakistan’s judiciary is being used to protect and sealed the terrorists,” he explains.

According to sources, Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi, who is a UN proscribed terrorist, was on bail since 2015 in the Mumbai attack case, was arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department of Punjab province in January.

The Ant-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore convicted Lakhvi for the commission of offences of terrorism financing in a case registered by the CTD for 15 years under a different section of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. For the last 70 years, Pakistan has been serving as a safe-haven for terrorists operating from its soil and leaves no stone unturned to spread the venom of terror all across the globe.

As rightly pointed put by India at various global forums, Pakistan proudly wears the 'crown' of terrorism and ethnic cleansing.