US acknowledges Pakistan’s efforts to meet FATF demands in latest report

US acknowledges Pakistan’s efforts to meet FATF demands in latest report

The annual US report on terrorism acknowledged that Pakistan took steps in 2020 to tackle terrorism financing, restrain India-focused militant groups and meet additional progress towards completing the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Action Plan and made positive contributions to Afghanistan peace process.

According to the report, ‘Country Reports on Terrorism 2020’, “Pakistan continued to experience terrorist attacks” last year.

Pakistani military and security forces undertook counterterrorism operations against groups that conducted attacks within Pakistan, such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the militants Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

“Pakistan took steps in 2020 to counter terror financing and restrain India-focused militant groups from conducting attacks. Pakistan convicted Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and four other senior LeT leaders in multiple terrorism financing cases,” said the report.

“The Sindh High Court overturned the 2002 convictions of Omar Sheikh and three co-conspirators for the 2002 kidnapping and murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl on April 2 and ordered their release on December 24.”

However, groups targeting Afghanistan and India — such as the Haqqani Network, LeT, and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) — continued to operate from Pakistan, claimed the report.

“Pakistan did not take action against other known terrorists such as JeM founder and UN-designated terrorist Masood Azhar and 2008 Mumbai attack “project manager” Sajid Mir, both of whom are believed to remain free in Pakistan.”

“Pakistan did make positive contributions to the Afghanistan peace process, such as encouraging Taliban reductions in violence. ”

The report acknowledged that “Pakistan made additional progress in 2020 toward completing its Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Action Plan, but did not complete all Action Plan items, and remained on the FATF ‘grey list’.”

The US government, added the report, recognizes Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan and broader regional security and urges Pakistan to dismantle terrorist groups within its territory.

“The United States cooperates with Pakistan on counterterrorism operations, which has helped Pakistan reclaim parts of the country previously held by militant groups.

The TTP and other designated terrorist groups continue to conduct attacks against the Pakistani military and civilian targets. While Pakistan has taken some action against these designated terrorist organizations, some externally focused terrorist groups continue to find safe haven in Pakistan.”

“As such, the US government continues to suspend most of its security assistance to Pakistan.
That suspension remained in effect throughout 2020.”

The report said, “Civilian assistance continued to prioritize civil society; people-to-people exchanges; stabilization and development on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border; trade and economic growth, including partnering with US businesses; law enforcement, counterterrorism — including countering terrorist financing and related anti-money laundering — and nonproliferation cooperation; and polio and other infectious diseases, including Covid-19.”

“The United States supported civilian law enforcement and the rule of law to help Pakistan disrupt transnational organised crime and terrorist networks and provide security and justice for Pakistani citizens.”