Pakistani Senator faces the heat in interview

Despite facing the heat in the interview, Sherry Rehman defended her country’s record on terrorism

Amid the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistani Senator and senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Sherry Rehman was grilled over the country's stance on terrorism in an interview with Sky News.

Despite facing the heat in the interview, Rehman defended her country’s record on terrorism and pushed back against longstanding international criticism.

“Pakistan is a changed country,” Rehman said during  a fiery interview with Sky News journalist Yalda Hakim.

In the interview, Rehman was asked about Brigade 313, which Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC) analysts identify as an al Qaeda-affiliated umbrella group active in her country.

Rehman rejected claims about Brigade 313 being a unifying force for terrorism, denying Pakistan’s involvement and criticizing international analysts.

The conversation then shifted to Pakistan’s removal from the FATF grey list, where Rehman defended the country’s progress in combating terror financing and money laundering.

“We were taken off the grey list because we provided forensic evidence,” she argued, pointing out that organisations in Muridke and Bahawalpur had been banned, and over 2,000 members arrested.

When pressed about Pakistan’s alleged refuge for terrorists, Rehman firmly denied it. She also dismissed Jaish-e-Mohammed statements on Masood Azhar’s family, downplaying the claim by saying, “Children are not leaders.”