MEA Spokesman Anurag Srivastava
New Delhi: India on Thursday hit out against Pakistan and said Islamabad continues to provide safe havens to terrorist entities and individuals.
The country has also not yet taken any action against several terrorist entities and individuals including those proscribed by the UNSC such as Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim, Zakir-ur-Rahman Lakhvi, Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava told reporters during the virtual weekly briefing here on Thursday.
Pakistan is likely to remain on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as it has been failed to comply with six of the 27 points in the global terror financing and money laundering watchdog’s action plan.
‘‘It is understood that Pakistan has addressed only 21 action items so far out of total 27 point FATF Action Plan. 6 important action items are yet to be addressed,’’ Mr Srivastava said.
The Paris-based global watchdog FATF is holding its virtual plenary session from October 21 to 23.
It is reviewing Pakistan’s progress on the 27-point action plan.
‘‘The issue of Pakistan’s compliance is being looked at the virtual FATF Plenary meeting is underway and will get over on the 23rd of October. FATF makes public announcements of its decisions according to its rules and procedures after its Plenary meeting,’’ he said.
Pakistan was placed on the FATF’s grey list in June 2018 and asked Islamabad to implement a plan of action to curb money laundering and terror financing by the end of 2019, but the deadline was extended later on due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Asked about the unprovoked ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), the spokesperson said that the Pakistan forces have continued to engage in unprovoked ceasefire violations, often from civilian areas, to support infiltration of terrorists across the LoC. This is a clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding between the two sides.
‘‘This year, till date, Pakistani forces have carried out more than 3800 unprovoked ceasefire violations. There have also been attempts to drop arms and ammunition close to the LoC in the garb of civilian activities,’’ he said.
‘‘We have also witnessed that Pakistan’s aid and abetment to cross-border terrorism, smuggling of arms and narcotic substances has spilled over to the International Boundary including through usage of drones and quadcopters,’’ the spokesperson said.
Mr Srivastava further added that such violations are regularly highlighted to Pakistan through diplomatic channels and at the regular DGMO level talks.
