By Elton Gomes
In what appears to be a significant crackdown on terrorism funding and alleged terrorist organisations, Pakistan is working on a draft bill to permanently ban Hafiz Saeed’s organisationJamaat-ud Dawa. The bill also seeks to ban other terror groups, as well as individuals with links to terror groups.
According to media reports, the bill seeks to replace the president’s ordinance that banned individuals and outfits who appeared on the interior ministry’s watchlist.
What does Pakistan plan to do?
In February 2018, Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussian amended the Anti-Terrorism Act to include those entities that were proscribed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). However, as the amendment is set to expire in 120 days, Pakistan plans to draft a new bill.
According to the Indian Express, the new bill will be supported by Pakistan’s military, and it will allow officers to investigate sources of terror funding, and other financial aspects in cases. In efforts to tighten its crackdown on terror funding, Pakistan reportedly aims to prepare a database containing names of terrorists and terror organisations. This database will be made accessible to financial institutions and law-enforcement agencies within the country.
The Pakistani government also reportedly plans to frame the ATA’s freezing and seizure rules. Moreover, as per the draft action plan, the government also plans to ensure that the Anti-Terrorism Amendment Ordinance 2018 is also enacted.
International pressure on Pakistan
According to the Hindu, the draft bill might be presented in the upcoming session of the National Assembly. Pakistan appears to have planned the bill prior to a visit by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which is an intergovernmental organisation that aims to curb money laundering, and keeps a check on terrorism funding. A delegation of the FATF will visit Pakistan on April 19.
Besides a visit by the FATF, Pakistan has faced significant pressure globally to put an end to the ever-growing network of terrorism in the country. The move to ban Hafiz Saeed’s Jamat-ud Dawa might be seen as Pakistan’s reconciliatory attempt.
India has been an ardent critic of Pakistan in terms of its inaction towards curbing terror funding and terror groups. In March, India’s Home minister Rajnath Singh accused Pakistan of giving legitimacy to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, and for allowing its leader- Hafiz Saeed- to “sit in the parliament,” LiveMint reported.
In a fervent critique of Pakistan’s inability to act against terrorism, Singh said, In Pakistan, United Nations-designated terrorists are being given political legitimacy. Hafiz Saeed (Lashkar-e-Taiba chief) will form a political party, contest elections and sit in the parliament.”
Besides India, US also sent a stern message to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqani Abbasi when he visited America in March 2018. US Vice President Mike Pence reportedly told Abbasi that Pakistan must do more to restrain Taliban and other terror groups.
In February 2018, the US put forward a motion to place Pakistan on the FATF’s list. The move came as US President Donald Trump’s administration suspended aid worth 2 billion dollars to Pakistan. The White House reportedly claimed that the decision to suspend the security aid was made over Pakistan’s inaction to confine the Taliban and the Haqqani network terror groups.
India-Pakistan tensions
In 2018, it seemed as though Pakistan had made efforts to restrain the terrorist network. Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain’s ordinance allegedly led to the proscription of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).
However, Pakistani militants attacked the Indian Army’s camps. Six army personnel and a civilian were killed in the Sunjuwan military camp attack, and one policeman was killed in the encounter at Poonch. These, and several other attacks by militants, allegedly from Pakistan, have raised several questions about the country’s plans to put an end to terrorism.
Hafiz Saeed was named as the mastermind of the 26/11 terror attacks, which led to as many as 166 deaths. Since Saeed was named as the main perpetrator, India and Pakistan have been in a war of words over punishing the Lashkar-e-Taiba leader.
Pakistan’s responses over taking action against Saeed have been ambiguous.
In 2017, the country cancelled licenses of 44 weapons that were issued to Saeed and other members of his organisation. The government did appear serious about a definite crackdown on terror. A year later however, Pakistan is yet to clarify what action it intends take against Saeed. Instead the Pakistani government said that it take its ”international obligations” very seriously.
Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson, Mohammad Faisal, reportedly said that the country is taking serious steps to implement UN sanctions against terror groups and persons including Saeed.
A law to permanently ban Hafiz Saeed’s organisation certainly is a step in the right direction. But with Pakistan’s uncertainty over implementing sanctions on Saeed, only time will tell how the ban will affect Hafiz Saeed and his network.