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Terror list: Pakistan at its game again

Last Updated 23 April 2020, 05:10 IST

Pakistan’s removal of some 3,800 names from its ‘Proscribed Persons List’ over the past 18 months, 1,800 of which were removed just since March, is reason for serious concern not just for India but for the world. It does seem that Pakistan government is persisting with its long-standing policy of avoiding action against terrorists. Pakistan’s terrorist watchlist, which had the names of 7,600 terrorists in October 2018, has been whittled down to half that number in 18 months. Removal of names from watchlists is not objectionable per se. There may be a number of legitimate reasons for doing so – some who figure on it may have given up terrorist activities; some names may have been mentioned multiple times; some may be cases of misidentification. Thus, if the reduction of names in the Proscribed Persons List was simply a matter of cleaning up the list of inaccuracies or updating it, it would be fine. However, this does not seem to be the case with regard to Pakistan’s watchlist. Pakistan went about removing names rather surreptitiously. Besides, it did not provide any explanations for the move nor did it communicate its action to the international bodies concerned. The opacity surrounding the whittling down of the list raises questions over Pakistan’s intentions. The country has a long history of supporting terrorist groups and using them to further its foreign policy objectives. Despite pressure from several governments and global organisations, Islamabad has rarely acted against terrorists. Its removal of thousands of names from its watchlist fits in with its record of acting to get terrorists off the hook.

Pakistan’s action is of particular concern to India. According to terrorist watchlist compliance watchdog, Castellum.AI, the name of Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, one of the masterminds of the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, has been removed from the list. India has been pressing Pakistan to bring him and others involved in the terror attack to justice, a request that the latter has refused to heed. By removing his name from the watchlist, Pakistan has reaffirmed yet again its support to anti-India terrorism.

Pakistan is on the Financial Action Task Force’s ‘grey list.’ In February, the global anti-money laundering watchdog observed that Pakistan had addressed only 14 of 27 action items, with varying levels of progress made on the other items. Its performance will come under review again in a few months. FATF members must look into Pakistan’s fudging of action taken on its terrorists. Simply removing them from a watchlist does not eliminate the threat that these terrorists pose to the world.

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(Published 22 April 2020, 17:05 IST)

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