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Pakistan to ban permanently all UNSC-proscribed ‘terror’ outfits and individuals
In this file photo, Pakistan head of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) organization Hafiz Saeed waves to supporters in Lahore. (AFP)
Updated 13 min 16 sec ago
Aamir Shah
April 08, 201821:23
16
“A draft bill to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 is prepared to permanently ban all proscribed outfits,” Raja Afzaal, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Law and Justice told Arab News on Sunday.
“The bill is expected to be tabled in the upcoming session of Senate or National Assembly,” he added. The Senate and National Assembly are scheduled to commence from April 9 and 10, respectively.
The law would replace a presidential ordinance that was promulgated on Feb. 9 this year to ban all militant outfits, including Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and its humanitarian arm, Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).
Following the ordinance, the provincial governments have taken over all moveable and immovable assets of these organizations. The JuD chief, Hafiz Saeed, has, however, challenged the presidential ordinance in the Islamabad High Court, saying that it is contradictory to the fundamental rights enshrined in the country’s constitution.
The presidential ordinance remains valid for 120 days, and can be extended for another four months only. After that, if the government wants to make it a permanent law, then it has to get it passed from both houses of parliament.
“The government has to present a detailed action plan to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) next month. That’s why it is going to get the amendments in the anti-terrorism act passed as soon as possible,” Tahir Malik, a professor of international relations, told Arab News.
He said the bill would contain nothing new, but would extend the ban on all the groups and individuals who were already mentioned in the ordinance.
Pakistan’s National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has already established a “fusion center” at its headquarters to compile data of all militants and terrorists that would be accessible to all financial institutions and law enforcement agencies.
“This data will help relevant institutions and law enforcement agencies to curb money laundering and terror financing,” NACTA chief Ihsan Ghani told Arab News.
The FATF in February this year approved a nomination proposal backed by the US and its allies to place Pakistan on the international watchdog’s money-laundering and terror-financing gray list.
Pakistan is now bound to agree on an action plan with the FATF before June before the international watchdog places the country on the gray list.
If Pakistan fails to submit the plan, then the FATF has an option of placing the country on its blacklist.
The UN Security Council’s consolidated list of terrorist individuals and entities includes 139 entries from Pakistan.
Khawaja Khalid Farooq, former inspector-general of police and coordinator of NACTA, said that Pakistan was left with no option but to move against all those organizations indiscriminately that have become unacceptable to the UN.
“This is a bitter pill that Pakistan will have to swallow,” he told Arab News.
Farooq suggested the government provide an opportunity to all proscribed outfits and their members to renounce their activities that “have become unacceptable to the international community” instead of just slapping a ban on their activities.
He also downplayed any chances of street agitation against the government by the proscribed outfits, saying: “I think they will adopt a legal course to contest the ban. They won’t resort to any kind of violence or street agitation.”
In this file photo, Pakistan head of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) organization Hafiz Saeed waves to supporters in Lahore. (AFP)
Updated 13 min 16 sec ago
Aamir Shah
April 08, 201821:23
16
- The data of all proscribed outfits and individuals said it will help counter money laundering and terrorism financing.
- The proscribed outfits and individuals are expected to adopt a legal course to contest the ban.
“A draft bill to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 is prepared to permanently ban all proscribed outfits,” Raja Afzaal, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Law and Justice told Arab News on Sunday.
“The bill is expected to be tabled in the upcoming session of Senate or National Assembly,” he added. The Senate and National Assembly are scheduled to commence from April 9 and 10, respectively.
The law would replace a presidential ordinance that was promulgated on Feb. 9 this year to ban all militant outfits, including Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and its humanitarian arm, Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).
Following the ordinance, the provincial governments have taken over all moveable and immovable assets of these organizations. The JuD chief, Hafiz Saeed, has, however, challenged the presidential ordinance in the Islamabad High Court, saying that it is contradictory to the fundamental rights enshrined in the country’s constitution.
The presidential ordinance remains valid for 120 days, and can be extended for another four months only. After that, if the government wants to make it a permanent law, then it has to get it passed from both houses of parliament.
“The government has to present a detailed action plan to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) next month. That’s why it is going to get the amendments in the anti-terrorism act passed as soon as possible,” Tahir Malik, a professor of international relations, told Arab News.
He said the bill would contain nothing new, but would extend the ban on all the groups and individuals who were already mentioned in the ordinance.
Pakistan’s National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has already established a “fusion center” at its headquarters to compile data of all militants and terrorists that would be accessible to all financial institutions and law enforcement agencies.
“This data will help relevant institutions and law enforcement agencies to curb money laundering and terror financing,” NACTA chief Ihsan Ghani told Arab News.
The FATF in February this year approved a nomination proposal backed by the US and its allies to place Pakistan on the international watchdog’s money-laundering and terror-financing gray list.
Pakistan is now bound to agree on an action plan with the FATF before June before the international watchdog places the country on the gray list.
If Pakistan fails to submit the plan, then the FATF has an option of placing the country on its blacklist.
The UN Security Council’s consolidated list of terrorist individuals and entities includes 139 entries from Pakistan.
Khawaja Khalid Farooq, former inspector-general of police and coordinator of NACTA, said that Pakistan was left with no option but to move against all those organizations indiscriminately that have become unacceptable to the UN.
“This is a bitter pill that Pakistan will have to swallow,” he told Arab News.
Farooq suggested the government provide an opportunity to all proscribed outfits and their members to renounce their activities that “have become unacceptable to the international community” instead of just slapping a ban on their activities.
He also downplayed any chances of street agitation against the government by the proscribed outfits, saying: “I think they will adopt a legal course to contest the ban. They won’t resort to any kind of violence or street agitation.”
