Seeking to escape from getting blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, Pakistan on Friday imposed tough financial sanctions on 88 banned terror groups and their leaders, including Dawood Ibrahim, 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar.
The Pakistan government ordered the seizure of all movable and immovable properties of these outfits and individuals and also freezing of their bank accounts.
Underworld don Dawood, who heads a vast and multifaceted illegal business, has emerged as India’s most wanted terrorist after the 1993 Mumbai bombings.
In 2003, the US declared Dawood as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. India has repeatedly asked the government of Pakistan to hand over Dawood to India so that he can be prosecuted for the crimes committed by him. It is reported that Dawood is based in the southern port city of Karachi.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office issued a midnight statement in response to media reports that Islamabad had admitted in the two new notifications issued on August 18 that Dawood was residing in the country.
It said that the SROs (Statutory Regulatory Orders) issued reflect the information contained in the list entry of UN designated individuals/entities. It said the reports in certain sections of the media about Pakistan imposing new sanctions measures, through these SROs, were not factual.
It is believed that the latest move by the Pakistan government is part of its efforts to wriggle out of the grey list of the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog FATF.
