New Delhi: The international community has understood that terrorism is the instrument of Pakistan’s state policy, and there is bleak possibility of the country giving it up.
The global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF), has retained Pakistan on its terrorism financing ‘grey list’. It has asked Islamabad to address at the earliest the remaining deficiencies in its financial system, or it could slip into the ‘black list’.
Pakistan has been on the FATF ‘grey list’ since June 2018 for failing to check money laundering, leading to terror financing. It was given a plan of action to be completed by October 2019. But the country failed to take any concrete action against the terror organisations and their sponsors.
Failure of Pakistan to act against terrorism has made the world realise that the country won’t mend its way and it’s high time to take punitive action against the nation, which rears terrorism in its backyard.
US lawmaker Scott Perry, a Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania, has called for the designation of Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism. The bill moved by him seeks to “provide for the designation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism, and for other purposes”.
The proposed sanctions include restrictions on foreign assistance; a ban on defence exports and sales; certain controls over export of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions.
Pak game about to end
It appears that the game has ended for Pakistan as the international community led by the United States wants to punish it for spreading terror and preaching hatred.
If the bill moved by the US lawmaker gets approved, Pakistan will join Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea as countries which have been designated sponsors of terrorism.
The rulers in Pakistan are caught in a quandary as their tactics of deceit and falsehood are not working. Besides facing the ire of the international community, the leadership is also facing the heat from its own people. The economic scenario of Pakistan is deteriorating with each passing day.