US Terms Pakistan's Pahalgam Mastermind TRF Global Terror Group: Why It Is A Shot In Arm For India
The United States' acknowledgment of The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be the mastermind behind the Pulwama terror act, as a global terror organisation is a huge shot in the arm for Indian efforts to ensure that Pakistan is placed on the grey list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Sources say that the government has written yet another letter to FATF to consider this demand from India. Pakistan was delisted in 2022 and India has been making the case that the funds and aid which Pakistan gets from global financial institutions are used for terror.
In fact, recently, an interim report of the FATF had issued a statement condemning terror acts, which is considered to be rare. The reason, it is believed, is because the international community has felt the severity of the attack and spotlights that such attacks will not go unpunished.
Being put on the grey list means the country cannot control money-laundering and terror-financing operations and is put under increased monitoring by FATF, an inter-governmental body. It restricts access to the international trade and financial system. The country can face difficulty in getting loans from multilateral organisations like International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Being on the FATF grey list is a warning to the countries to take corrective measures, failing which they will be moved to the stringent 'FATF Black List'.
FATF meeting in September-October
The FATF meeting is expected to take place now in September-October. The government has sent many letters and also reached out to make the point that the funds and aid given in 'good faith" are being misused by Pakistan. The money meant for the welfare and upliftment of the Pakistani people is not being used for the cause. Instead, the funds are diverted to fund terror organisations, and which is something the world needs to wake up to.
What India has also said is that there is evidence to show that Pakistan's connection to terror acts is like a thread which strings many global terrorist organizations like Hamas. Therefore, it is in the interest of global powers like the US to ensure that Pakistan is put in the grey list.
India has been reaching out to FATF members like Mexico, Argentina, Canada, Denmark through backdoor to push its case. With the US now putting the terror label, India has hope.
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