Latest news with #UNSC-designated
News18
09-07-2025
- Business
- News18
FATF Report Bolsters India's Stance On Terror Groups In Pakistan, Their Hawala Funding Channels
Last Updated: FATF report states Pakistan-linked terror groups such as LeT and JeM use informal cash systems such as hawala, NGOs and digital platforms such as social media, crypto to move funds The Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) new report, which defines state-sponsored terrorism for the first time, could make things worse for Pakistan and bolster India's case on why Islamabad should be added to the grey list. The Department of Revenue, which comes under the Finance Ministry, has, so far, sent three letters to the FATF explaining why Pakistan should be on the grey list. 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'. Pakistan-based terror outfits such as the LeT, JeM, and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remain global threat, as per the FATF. The report also highlights the funding patterns of LeT and JeM, which are among the UNSC-designated terror groups operating with transnational networks. The TTP continues to exploit porous borders and tribal zones for fundraising and arms movement, it states. The FATF report has flagged state-sponsorship of terrorism as a continuing global threat — implicitly indicts rogue support systems. The report states that Pakistan-linked terror groups exploit informal cash systems such as hawala, charities and digital platforms to move funds. The terror outfits use social media, crypto, and front NGOs to bypass scrutiny, states the report, warning of tech-enabled jihad financing. LeT & JeM abuse shell companies and nonprofits to raise funds, FATF cautions global financial institutions. The FATF has highlighted how Pakistani terror groups generate revenue via natural resource trafficking, extortion, and arms smuggling, which India, too, has been stating. Hawala and unlicensed remittance services are extensively used by Pakistan-based and affiliated networks to transfer funds across borders undetected. There is also use of cash-based informal economies, especially in border and rural areas, which facilitate fundraising for groups such as the LeT and JeM. Terrorist groups also exploit non-profit organisations for fundraising and propaganda, including in Kashmir-linked charity fronts. FATF notes increased use of virtual assets (cryptocurrencies) by networks associated with South Asian terror outfits for covert transactions. FATF report will help mount international pressure As FATF urges for stricter enforcement on countries tolerating or sponsoring terrorism, the Finance Ministry and government hope that international pressure will mount. Sources say that India will raise Pakistan's continued harbouring of UN-sanctioned groups on global forums. While the report stops short of naming states, multiple delegations and open-source inputs have linked certain national governments to providing financial/logistic support to terror groups — with Pakistan implied in various assessments. top videos View all Groups not designated by the UN but supported by states can operate freely in alternate jurisdictions and store or raise funds more easily. As per the government and also insinuated in this report, the methods are used for Pakistan-linked terror financing. Although Pakistan was removed from the grey list in 2022, India has warned that it's important that international finance institutions must keep close watch on Pakistan. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 09, 2025, 13:50 IST News india FATF Report Bolsters India's Stance On Terror Groups In Pakistan, Their Hawala Funding Channels Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
02-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
As QUAD Condemns Pahalgam Terror Attack, India SCO-res Against China-Pakistan Plot
Last Updated: The absence of any mention of the Pahalgam terror attack in the SCO communiqué, where India was the victim, reveals the fault lines within the 10-member grouping The QUAD foreign ministers have issued a joint statement condemning the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22nd in the strongest terms. They have called for prompt action against cross-border terrorism and demanded that the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of the attack be brought to justice without delay. The statement urges UN member nations to cooperate in this effort. Notably, the joint statement did not mention Pakistan or the brief military conflict between India and Pakistan in May. The meeting in Washington was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. The joint declaration on terrorism reads, 'The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and renews our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation. We call for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard." It is important to note that the UNSC resolution of April 25 condemning the Pahalgam terror attack was necessary but inadequate. It did not name The Resistance Front (TRF), which initially claimed responsibility for the attack, nor did it refer to the group's links to the UNSC-designated terror outfit, LeT. Additionally, it did not specifically mention cooperation with the Government of India or the terrorists' intent to target non-Muslims, which aimed to incite communal tensions. Compared to previous statements, the language was 'watered down", influenced by Pakistan's membership in the SCO Council for 2025-26 and China's support. China has previously vetoed statements critical of Pakistan. Therefore, the QUAD joint declaration's message is crucial for multilateralism in today's geopolitical context, especially for UN member states like Pakistan and China. It stresses the need for future UNSC resolutions to resist coercion by terror sponsors like Pakistan. The QUAD's stance on terrorism is unequivocal, particularly towards China and Pakistan, which blocked India's attempt to highlight the Pahalgam terror attack in the SCO joint statement. Consequently, the SCO defence ministers' meeting concluded without a joint statement, with India's defense minister, Rajnath Singh, urging countries to unite against terrorism and hold perpetrators accountable—a call addressed by the QUAD foreign ministers' declaration, sharply contrasting the SCO defence ministers' joint statement. The irony is that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established to combat terrorism. Rajnath Singh's criticism of the double standards within the SCO, especially those of China, underscores this point. The absence of any mention of the Pahalgam terror attack in the SCO communiqué, where India was the victim, reveals the fault lines within the 10-member grouping. This has exposed US critics who speculated that US tariff policies had weakened the QUAD—a claim now demolished by the QUAD's current joint statement.
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Not strong enough: on Pahalgam and UNSC statement
The UN Security Council's statement on Friday, condemning 'in the strongest terms' the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, was necessary, but inadequate. According to the statement, which expressed condolences to India, and to Nepal which lost one citizen, the members of the Security Council, that include Pakistan as an elected, non-permanent member this year, 'reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security'. The statement also spoke of the need to bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice. However, the UNSC did not name The Resistance Front (TRF) that initially claimed responsibility for the attack, and did not refer to the group's linkages to a UNSC-designated terror outfit, the LeT. Nor did it expressly speak of cooperation with the Government of India, as it had in the past. Finally, the statement made no mention of the terrorists' intent to target non-Muslims — an abhorrent act aimed at instigating communal tensions. A comparison with previous such statements would make it clear that the language was 'watered down' given that Pakistan is a member of the Council (2025-26), and had China's support. China has in the past sought to veto statements critical of Pakistan. It is also disappointing that the statement, which was negotiated by France's envoy, the current UNSC President, did not bring stronger inputs from others on the Council including the U.S., Russia and the U.K. As the government and security forces discuss counter-terror operations within Jammu and Kashmir to apprehend the terrorists and possible military options across the border, India's next option may be to bring a more strongly worded statement to the UN General Assembly, as various countries have done in the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts. The government would no doubt be preparing to have those terrorists it has identified from the attack and the TRF itself, designated by the UNSC, much the same way as it was able to bring the designation of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a terrorist after the Pulwama attack. In addition, India could build its case at the Financial Action Task Force, which put Pakistan on a 'greylist' from 2012-15 and 2018-22, and revive its plans to pass a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the United Nations. On the bilateral front, expecting assistance from Pakistan has been a dead-end in the past, despite its promises after Mumbai (2008), Pathankot (2016), and Pulwama(2019). Given the state of bilateral relations and the lack of diplomatic engagement, this is even less likely. Only a multi-pronged effort on the global stage, and the patience it showed with the extradition of Tahawwur Rana from the U.S., will ensure that India is able to follow all the threads in bringing those responsible for this brutal attack to justice and establish a durable peace.
