I feel upset to point out that as a country, we are in a trap now due to our multiple internal and external mistakes. I may not be wrong if I say that we have not learned to steer the country out from crises and we really need to gear in honest and aggressive measures for nation building and perhaps what is happening today is our own negative engineering as we do not play above board while dealing with national issues. We are now sliding into an area of economic and political instability very sharply which may bring irreversible national loss in many fields. The burden on our economy is already not sustainable and FATF has cost us very heavily. All adverse economic factors are converging to a point which may cost dearly. With the rise in terror incidents and provocation from both borders, the military is getting more burdened with defending the country and tackling other proxy wars. A political fiasco may emerge with the new trend of hitting our institutions hard. The economy will be in nose dive if FATF does not take Pakistan out of the Grey List despite our best efforts. The intentions of FATF are not very clear and it looks like FATF wants to keep Pakistan under pressure for some other reasons. Let us watch and see what outcome is there for Pakistan on October 23 from Paris. India is enjoying the status of an untouchable country despite being involved in money laundering and terrorism. Kindly peruse below the contents of my letter written yesterday to President FATF asking him to move against India and I hope the government will join me in this complaint and campaign against India which is endangering the world.
Dear Mr President,
Please refer to my earlier letters dated February 14, 2019 and March 12, 2019, (copies enclosed) wherein I had pleaded for action against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for protecting international fugitives involved in the biggest ever credit fraud and money laundering. I also requested the removal of Pakistan’s name from the Grey List of FATF and your response dated February 18, 2019 (copy enclosed) stating as under:
“The Financial Action Task Force is an inter-governmental body whose purpose is the development and national and international policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The FATF is therefore a ‘policymaking body’ created in 1989 that works to generate the necessary political will to bring about legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas.”
The world has noticed the vast variation between the given mandate and the assumed one by FATF and penal actions against various countries including Pakistan.
The above mandate empowers FATF to undertake its role as a “policymaking” body, but on the contrary, FATF under your leadership exceeded the official mandate by placing Pakistan on the Grey List and kept the sword of penal action hanging over the head of Pakistan, although it has complied with all the requirements of FATF by adequately bringing amendments in existing laws and by the promulgation of some new legislation. Frankly speaking, FATF acted like Interpol by even overstepping the authority of Interpol as money laundering and terrorism comes under their charter. Unfortunately, we did not witness the presence of Interpol and member states of Interpol have the right to demand as to how FATF has overstepped its official mandate to intrude in its jurisdiction.
I, as an elected representative of Pakistan as Senator and the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior along with my countrymen, would like to express that Pakistanis feel that we are being discriminated for being placed on the grey list of FATF whereas Indian terrorist financing and money laundering is being consistently and deliberately ignored. The criminal activities by India have been identified and reported by the concerned international forums even most recently.
I would also like to draw your kind attention to the rapid increase of ISIS/Daesh in India, as the UN report on terrorism has warned that there are “significant numbers” of Islamic State (IS) terrorists in Kerala and Karnataka, noting that al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) terror group is planning attacks in the region.
The report also warns that Al-Qaida in the Indian subcontinent is planning attacks in the region. The two terrorist groups are using the COVID-19 pandemic as a platform to propagate their ideology and are asking innocent Muslims to be the carrier of coronavirus and spread it amongst people.
Actually, India has a covert plan to continue proxy wars through the nexus of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and ISIS/Daesh in the whole region, particularly in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China.
The American magazine ‘Foreign Policy’ in its article “Indians and Central Asians Are the New Face of the Islamic State” on October 8, 2020, has confirmed the rapid increase of Daesh in India. “In particular, the Indian and Central Asian linkages that the group fostered are already having repercussions beyond the region,” the Foreign Policy Magazine reported. “While at first glance this seems unsurprising, the presence of Central Asians and Indians in transnational attacks is a relatively new phenomenon that reflects a shifting pattern in jihadism linked to the Islamic State,” the publication reported. “Indians have stayed involved in networks in India, or occasionally Pakistan. Central Asians have shown up in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but rarely farther afield. That is changing,” the report said.
India has been turned into a hub of Daesh (the militant Islamic State group) operators working with RSS and financed by RAW through its linkage with RSS and has put the whole of South Asia into danger. Most recently, 44 Indian banks had been flagged in connection with transactions by Indian entities and individuals in a set of SARs (Suspicious Activity Reports) filed by the US banks with the watchdog agency, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The Indian media has covered the involvement of India in terror financing and money laundering. Despite this, regrettably, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is still reluctant to take any action against India. Pakistan was put on the grey list for only the suspicious transaction while India was given a free hand despite its involvement in terror financing and money laundering. Pakistan has been fighting the war on terror along with the US since day one and obviously, US’ complainant against Pakistan owes an explanation of its own defence spending in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and means of financing these wars with banking trails enabling it comes out clean before even complaining against Pakistan.
I, as a national of Pakistan suffering in the hands of FATF, demand that India, involved in terror financing and money laundering, should be investigated forthwith.
The reports on Indian support to Daesh and the involvement of 44 Indian banks, both state and private-owned, in money laundering is a matter of concern, not only for Pakistan but also for the whole world community. Terror financing by India would bring world peace once again to the period when Daesh was at its peak in Iraq and Syria. FATF is, therefore, requested to initiate the investigation against India as per the following ToRs for further legal actions/for sanction on India:
1. Indian State’s involvement in supporting RSS and Daesh which was endorsed by PM Narendra Modi himself.
2. Investigations into 44 Indian banks which have been flagged in connection with transactions by Indian entities and individuals in a set of Suspicious Activity Reports filed by US banks with the watchdog agency, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). India to be asked to produce the record of the said money laundering trail from these 44 Indian Banks.
3. Tracing of money trail with origin and end beneficiaries of the said suspicious transactions laundered worldwide by Indian State bank and other Indian national banks. The American watchdog on suspicious bank transactions may be called to produce documentary evidence.
4. Nexus between RSS and Daesh and their crimes against humanity in Indian Occupied Kashmir through state terrorism. The leadership of oppressed Kashmiris may be called as prime witnesses.
5. The attack of Daesh on churches of Sri Lanka from Indian soil. The former President and PM may be called for testimony.
6. India owes an explanation for its weak laws against money laundering and terror financing. After due investigation, India may be asked to make necessary and mandatory amendments in its laws and bring new legislation wherever it is recommended by FATF.
These above facts and suggestions of TORs for investigations against India are being made in good faith and in the interest of the international community enabling the world to get rid of Indian state terrorism in the region. I am ready to appear before FATF for any clarification. I also hope to see my country out of the grey list after compliance in making the required amendments in our laws and new legislation. I have written the above letter to President FATF and I hope FATF will rectify its discriminatory action against Pakistan by taking action on this letter.
Author’s note: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my party.