It appears that that federal government wants robust actions on all points of the National Action Plan. Prime Minister Imran Khan, while chairing the first-ever meeting of the National Internal Security Committee, decided to form experts working group to ensure closer coordination with provincial governments for its speedy implementation. The provincial governments have to contribute 60 percent financial resources and support of law enforcing agencies to implement this plan in letter and spirit.
The symbolic, selective and piecemeal approach of the previous federal government and particularly of Punjab and Sindh governments caused big damage to the image of the country in the international community. The most damaging impact was putting Pakistan once again on the greylist by Financial Action Task Force (FARF) and handing down multipoint action plan for implementation till September this year. Before taking the greylisting decision, a short leash of three months was given in February 2018 to show some progress on curbing money laundering and counterterrorism financing. Instead of taking this concession seriously, the PML-N government Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal termed the US moved resolution at FATF Paris meeting a conspiracy to strangulate Pakistan’s flourishing economy, in fact the sliding down economy on the precipice. Ignoring the ground realties, Miftah Ismael the then defecto finance minister, after the absconding of dejure finance minster Ishaq Dar,claimed that the financial system of Pakistan is strong and its anti-money laundering and counterterrorism regimes are the most stringent in the world, which were in fact not.
In June last year the caretaker government of Punjab recommended the de-freezing of bank accounts of a fourth scheduler who heads a religious organisation to which Lej was believed to be affiliated. The relevant agency of federal government acted accordingly which coincided with firefighting endeavors of the then caretaker finance minister Dr. Shamshad Akhtar at the FATF Paris meeting in June last year and Pakistan was back on the grey-list.
The present government has taken legal measures against money laundering and terror financing along with administrative measures against banned organisations. However, a delegation of Asia Pacific Group, a regional affiliate of FATF, in its recent meeting with Pakistani authorities termed the actions so far taken in sufficient to block the flow of finances and activities of proscribed organisations. To buttress it actions for strict implementation of National Action Plan, the ruling party invited parliamentary leaders of opposition parties to a consultative meeting but the event has to be postponed because PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari and JUI (F) Central Amir Maulana Fazalu Rehman declined to participate. The top leadership of PPP is facing probe on the charges of money-laundering through fake bank accounts and leaders of JUI (F) and other religious parties are averse to seminaries reforms and unhappy with recent crackdown against proscribed organisations.
The core points of National Action plan including strict action against the militant outfits and armed gangs; strengthening National counter terrorism Authority; choking of finances for terrorist organisations ;curbing the reemergence of proscribed organisations under other nomenclatures; registration and regularization of religious seminaries; zero tolerance for militancy in Punjab; and reforming the justice system need fast track compliance. The sooner it is done the better it will be.
