Global watchdog to take up Pak case amid escape of terrorist

NEW DELHI : The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will assess Pakistan’s efforts to counter terror financing at meetings in Paris on February 16-21, just days after the country’s security establishment was embarrassed by the escape of a top Taliban terrorist from custody.

The FATF’S working group and plenary meetings will assess the implementation of a 27-point action plan by Pakistan, placed in the global watchdog’s ‘grey list’ in June 2018 for failing to stop fund raising by groups such as the Tehreek-e-taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-taiba, Jaish-emohammed and al-qaeda.

Over the weekend, Pakistani security officials confirmed the escape from custody of TTP leader Ehsanullah Ehsan, linked to a 2012 attempt to kill Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai and the 2014 attack on an armyrun school in Peshawar that killed nearly 150 people.

Ehsan, a former spokesman of the TTP, released an audio message on social media last week saying he had escaped on January 11. He told Pakistani media he was in Turkey with his wife and children. He had surrendered to Pakistani authorities in February 2017 and said in the audio message he escaped after officials failed to keep certain promises that were purportedly made in an agreement with him.

Though Ehsan’s case is not one of terror financing, his escape is expected to add to the pressure on Pakistan at the upcoming FATF meeting. The watchdog has said in several reports that Pakistan has failed to meet several deadlines to implement the action plan and that it has not done enough to stop the activities of terror groups or prosecute those involved in fund raising.

The FATF meeting is also being held against the backdrop of the US apparently easing up on its efforts to get Pakistan to crack down on terrorism as Washington is keen on getting Islamabad’s support for a possible deal with the Afghan Taliban, people familiar with developments said.

The US views the FATF more as a technical body that can bring Pakistan’s laws on terror financing and money laundering in line with international laws and regulations, the people cited above said.