MEA lambasts Pakistan's farcical action against Masood Azhar & Lakhvi, cites FATF motive

Ministry of External Affairs on Friday slammed Pakistan's "farcical action" against terrorists Masood Azhar and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. While an arrest warrant has been issued for Jaish-e-Mohamm chief, Lakhvi was sentenced to 15 years in jail dressing a press briefing, MEA official spokesperson Anurag Srivastava contended that neighbouring country was indulging in such tactics to misle Asia Pacific Joint Group of Financial Action Task Force.

After placing Pakistan on Grey List in June 2018, FATF asked Islamab to implement a plan of action to curb money laundering and terror financing. FATF meeting scheduled in February is likely to decide on Pakistan's Grey List status. Maintaining that Pakistani establishment uses terrorists and proscribed groups as "proxies" to execute its anti-India nda, he called upon international community to hold Imran Khan-led government accountable. 

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava remarked, " timing of se actions clearly suggests intention of conveying a sense of compliance ahe of APJG meeting and next FATF plenary meeting in February 2021. It has become routine for Pakistan to come up with such farcical actions prior to important meetings. UN proscribed entities and designated terrorists act as proxies for Pakistani establishment to fulfill its anti-India nda. It is for international community to hold Pakistan to account and to ensure that it takes credible action against terror groups, terror infrastructure and individual terrorists."

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Pakistan's action against terrorists

On Thursday, Anti-Terrorism Court in Gujranwala issued Masood Azhar;'s arrest warrant for his involvement in terror financing and selling Jihi literature. He formed JeM after being released by India in exchange of passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines plane in 1999. JeM is responsible for carrying out multiple terror attacks in India including 2001 Parliament attack, 2016 Pathankot airbase attack and 2019 Pulwama attack. In May 2019, United Nations designated Azhar as a "global terrorist" paving way for increased pressure on Pakistan.

Lakhvi, a Lashkar-e-Taiba operations commander who played a pivotal role in 26/11 terror attack, was arrested by  Counter-Terrorism Department of Punjab province in Pakistan. Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore held him guilty for using funds from a dispensary for terror financing and sentenced him to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment on three counts each with a total fine of 3,00,000 Pakistani rupees. Earlier, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed was sentenced to 36 years in prison. 

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