logo
FATF Pressure Deepens Fault Lines In Pakistan: Bilawal's Call For Terror Extradition Triggers Fury

FATF Pressure Deepens Fault Lines In Pakistan: Bilawal's Call For Terror Extradition Triggers Fury

News186 days ago
Last Updated:
According to top intelligence sources, jihadist groups perceive Bilawal Bhutto's offer to extradite Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India as an act of treason.
There seems to be a significant rift between Pakistan's political class and jihadist groups, with the Pakistani army seemingly supporting former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, top intelligence sources have told CNN-News18. Bilawal's recent stance on extraditing designated terrorists Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India suggests a consensus within Pakistan's political leadership, as observed by intelligence sources.
Bilawal's proposal challenges both the army's policy on Kashmir and their relationship with jihadist factions, who view themselves as military assets rather than political bargaining chips. According to top intelligence sources, jihadist groups perceive this extradition offer as an act of treason. The political class, including Bilawal's Pakistan People's Party (PPP), is striving for international legitimacy, particularly in compliance with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mandates.
Sources indicate that Bilawal has highlighted the dismantling of over 900 jihadist institutions, asset seizures, and arrests as evidence of Pakistan's changing stance. This move is part of a broader effort to avoid FATF grey list penalties, backed by the military's support for compliance. Intelligence sources note that Bilawal's delegation to Washington and London has presented extradition as a component of comprehensive dialogues aimed at economic recovery.
Despite Pakistan's efforts, sources reveal that groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) have historically served as tools for plausible deniability in Kashmir operations. However, Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's capacity to conduct deep strikes in Pakistan, prompting further military-backed compliance with FATF requirements, including the dismantling of LeT's JuD network.
Sources report unprecedented state crackdowns on jihadist groups, which face asset seizures and arrests. Pakistani Tehreek-i-Insaaf's condemnation of Bilawal Bhutto underscores the presence of jihadi sympathies within conservative politics. Intelligence sources warn that any extradition attempts could provoke violent backlash from sleeper cells.
With Pakistan's 2025 FATF review demanding irreversible actions against terror groups, political and military establishments are pressured to dismantle jihadist networks. Yet, intelligence sources assert that Pakistan will never extradite terror leaders. The regrouping of jihadist factions in Afghanistan poses a threat to Pakistan's internal security, making proxies like JeM liabilities rather than assets.
What Bilawal Bhutto Said
Last week, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said his country had no objection to extraditing 'individuals of concern" to India as a confidence-building measure, as long as India shows willingness to cooperate with its neighbour.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Friday, Bilawal responded to a question about extraditing Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as possible concessions and good-faith gestures to India.
'As part of a comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan, where terrorism is one of the issues that we discuss, I am sure Pakistan would not be opposed to any of these things," he said, while accusing India of not complying with Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

World recognises 2  infinite powers of India — demography and democracy: PM
World recognises 2  infinite powers of India — demography and democracy: PM

Indian Express

time22 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

World recognises 2 infinite powers of India — demography and democracy: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India's two strengths are its demography and democracy, with the country being the most populous and the largest democracy in the world. In a virtual address during Rozgar Mela, after distributing over 51,000 appointment letters to youths, the PM said his government's welfare schemes, be it building over four crore houses for the poor, distributing over 10 crore new LPG connections or the rooftop solar programme, have created lakhs of new employment opportunities, and so have a host of other initiatives that led to growth in manufacturing sector. Exhorting the youth to work hard for the nation, he said the motto should be 'citizens first', and underlined that their careers would be the most important phase of 'Amrit Kaal' for the country. 'The world acknowledges today that India possesses two infinite powers. One is demography, the other is democracy. In other words, the largest youth population and the largest democracy,' he said. Asserting that the country has progressed in every field in the past 11 years, PM Modi said electronic manufacturing had risen over five times and mobile manufacturing units have increased to nearly 300 from two to four earlier. Noting that over 25 crore people were lifted out of poverty in the past 10 years, the PM said it would not have happened but for the employment and sources of income generated for them. Citing an International Labour Organization report, Modi said over 90 crore people were covered under the ambit of welfare schemes in the last decade. The worth of defence production has gone beyond `1.25 lakh crore, he said, adding that India is now on the way to becoming the third-largest economy. Defence manufacturing is being discussed proudly after Operation Sindoor, he said in an apparent reference to the display of India's indigenous military capability during the conflict with Pakistan. The government, he said, was focusing on creating new employment opportunities through the Employment Linked Incentive Scheme, under which people in their first job in the private sector would be given `15,000 by the government. He added that this is expected to help create about 3.5 crore new jobs.

As UNSC president, Pakistan looks to up ante on Kashmir issue
As UNSC president, Pakistan looks to up ante on Kashmir issue

Time of India

time2 hours ago

  • Time of India

As UNSC president, Pakistan looks to up ante on Kashmir issue

File photo: Pakistani deputy PM and foreign minister Ishaq Dar (Picture credit: AP, ANI) NEW DELHI: As the month-long Pakistan presidency of the UNSC nears its business end, Islamabad is gearing up to organise an open debate on unresolved disputes around the world, looking to follow it up with a resolution urging member-states to use mechanisms available to them for pacific settlement of disputes. While the motive behind convening this signature event under the UN's maintenance of international peace and security agenda is to highlight the Kashmir issue, it's unlikely Pakistan will name J&K for fear of getting the resolution vetoed. UNSC resolutions need nine votes to pass, including concurrence of all five permanent members. Pakistani deputy PM & foreign minister Ishaq Dar will travel to New York to chair the event on July 22, which will likely be briefed by secretary general Antonio Guterres too. According to the Security Council Report, Pakistan aims to adopt the resolution urging full use of all Chapter VI mechanisms. Article 33 of the Chapter states that the parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, shall seek a solution by, among other things, mediation and arbitration. However, the same Article also says the parties can seek a solution through "other peaceful means of their own choice". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Monster Hunter Wilds – Exclusive Discounts! Shop Now Undo "Generic resolution which will most likely be conceptual in nature will focus on general principles not specific issues to avoid any objections," says Syed Akbaruddin, former Indian ambassador to the UN. Pakistan also knows that, except China, all other permanent members continue to maintain that Kashmir is a bilateral issue. While underlining the Council's role in maintaining peace and security, many member-states stress any such attempt can't undermine a State's sovereignty or invoke settlement agreements without the consent of both parties. The open debate follows closed consultations called by Pakistan on May 5 to discuss India-Pakistan tensions after Pahalgam terrorist attack. Pakistan will also convene another signature event under its presidency, hoping to strengthen cooperation between the UN and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a 57-member body that has repeatedly expressed support for Islamabad's Kashmir agenda.

After Asim Munir and Netanyahu, Karoline Leavitt now calls for Nobel Prize for Trump, gets blasted online
After Asim Munir and Netanyahu, Karoline Leavitt now calls for Nobel Prize for Trump, gets blasted online

Time of India

time3 hours ago

  • Time of India

After Asim Munir and Netanyahu, Karoline Leavitt now calls for Nobel Prize for Trump, gets blasted online

Calls for US president Donald Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize have intensified, and so has the backlash. Following nominations from both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir, now even White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly declared that Trump 'deserves' the award, sparking instant ridicule on social media, as per The Mirror report. Why Is Donald Trump's Name Back in the Nobel Peace Prize Conversation? Leavitt posted on her social media X account, sharing an opinion piece written by Nicole Russell for USA Today, with the headline, "Trump deserves Nobel Peace Prize. He's achieved more than those who've won before," as per her X post. Trump deserves Nobel Peace Prize. He's achieved more than those who've won before. — Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) July 10, 2025 by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cengkareng Timur: Hunian baru untuk lansia – nyaman dan terjangkau (lihat harganya) Hunian untuk lansia | Iklan penelusuran Pelajari Undo ALSO READ: Stellar comeback: After a lost decade and near bankruptcy in the 2010s, Greece set to become debt-free by 2029 The columnist wrote in the opinion piece that the Republican leader should be awarded the prestigious honor for "stopping the worst state sponsor of terrorism from acquiring nuclear weapons and then ending a war in the Middle East," as reported by The Mirror. Live Events This comes as the US president took credit for brokering the ceasefire that ended the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel last month, according to The Mirror report. Which led Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to praise Trump, saying that the US president was "forging peace as we speak, and one country and one region after the other," as quoted in the report. ALSO READ: What is the Voting Rights Act, the 1965 law that changed America — and why it's back in the spotlight now Donald Trump's Nobel Peace Prize Bid Sparks Heated Debate Online However, critics immediately mocked Leavitt's suggestion as "absolutely comical" and "delusional and absurd," according to the report. Conservative journalist Cassandra Fairbanks responded, saying, "Its absolutely comical to suggest he deserves a peace prize after bombing another nation and making us pay for the massacre Israel is undertaking," as quoted by The Mirror. While, conservative attorney and commentator Sean Ross Callaghan also reacted, saying, "Honey, I voted for him more times than you probably did-and this is delusional and absurd," as quoted in the report. ALSO READ: Apple to buy Perplexity, valued at $14 billion? Dan Ives says iPhone maker can't build its own AI Even other X users commented on her post, one joked, saying, "Sure, give him the Nobel. Maybe next to Netanyahu for all that peace they've brought to the Middle East. The irony is almost poetic," as per the X post. One user wrote, "At this point, just give it to him so Trump and his team of cult followers will shut up about it," as quoted in the X post. Another X user commented, "Trump and Netanyahu should get one together. Should help with fully discrediting this so-called institution, another step in draining the swamp. Thank you President Trump!," as per the X post. While, one more comment said, "Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize for conflicts he never ended, solutions he never delivered, and lies he keeps repeating. He claimed he could stop the war in Ukraine—he didn't. He claimed he brought peace between Israel and Palestine—he didn't. He even took credit for resolving tensions between India and Pakistan—India flat-out said he had nothing to do with it. Trump's self-flattery isn't diplomacy. It's delusion. The Nobel is for real peace, not PR stunts and fantasy press releases," as per the social media post. ALSO READ: Sex scandal rocks Kremlin: Putin aide flew 23-year-old lover around Russia on lavish military aircraft FAQs Why is Donald Trump being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize? His supporters say he helped prevent nuclear conflict with Iran and brokered peace in the Middle East along with a few other countries, as per the report. Could Trump actually win it? It's highly unlikely, given current global controversies and strong public backlash, even among conservatives.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store