Pakistan’s Cosmetic Action On Fighting Terror
Invoking its 1997 anti–terror act, Pakistan registered 23 FIRs this week against a dozen office bearers of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) and its front organization Jamaat-ud-Daw’ah (JuD) including its chief Hafiz Saeed, for funding terrorist organizations. Saeed’s 2nd in command Abdul Rehman Makki has also been booked. They are charged with using JuD as well as Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation, FIF, ostensibly as charitable trust, for funding terrorist organizations. The cases have been registered by the Counter Terrorism Department of the Punjab Government which, after detailed investigations, found them collecting funds through 5 other trusts also and passing on the money for terrorist activities. The organizations are reported to have acquired huge properties with the money collected in the name of charity.
Hafiz Saeed is the mastermind of Mumbai attacks of 2008 in which 164 people lost their lives. He also masterminded several other terror attacks in India.
While the action is welcome, certain questions have been raised. Hafiz Sayeed and his supposedly charitable fronts have been doing this for at least three decades, so what is the big deal in admitting it now? Did Pakistan really need a detailed investigation after so many years to find it out? Presuming that the action has been taken in right earnest, why has it taken so long for the Pakistan government to act?
The answers are clear. Pakistan has all along been treating terrorists and their organizations on its soil as strategic assets to launch attacks in other countries. In fact, its’ former President Gen. Musharraf is on record to say that Pakistan created these terrorists and have been nurturing them as an important asset for the country. Pakistan has been using these terrorist outfits for launching attacks in Kashmir and rest of India besides other countries. If Islamabad is feigning ignorance, it is doing so to cover up its misdeeds. That also explains why it has taken so long to file cases against these organizations.
Fact is, Pakistan is caught in a critical situation both internally and externally. It is in the grip of severe international pressure. Internally, it is facing a severe economic crisis making it difficult for the government to meet even day to day expenses. This has led to prices of essential commodities hitting the roof with public outcry looming large. Externally the world has made its position clear that it is not going to support Pakistan unless it takes firm action against terrorism. This was made clear at the G20 meeting in Osaka, Japan, recently. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog against terror funding has continued keeping Pakistan in the grey list and warned it of degrading it further; if Pakistan does not take concrete action against terror funding in its country. The warning was served at its plenary in Orlando, USA, on 21st June.
Even this belated action is suspect; since it is not for the first time that the Pakistan government is giving the impression of acting against the terrorists and their organizations. But the action has never been a serious one. It was always an eyewash to mislead world opinion. The only silver lining this time is that the decision to act against these organizations and individuals has been taken jointly by the civil government and the Army, leaving little scope for the Army coming in the way of acting sincerely against the outfits. But, whether that happens or not, remains to be seen. It is the fond hope of the civilized world to see that Pakistan acts honestly and with full might against the terrorists as much in its own interest as in the interest of global peace.
Understandably, New Delhi has rejected the crackdown on Hafiz Saeed as “cosmetic steps” and half-hearted measures undertaken to hoodwink the international community. India’s External Affairs Ministry stated that Pakistan’s sincerity to take action against the terrorists and terror groups will be judged on the basis of its’ ability to demonstrate “verifiable , credible and irreversible action against terror groups operating from Pakistani soil”
Hafiz Saeed is the mastermind of Mumbai attacks of 2008 in which 164 people lost their lives. He also masterminded several other terror attacks in India.
While the action is welcome, certain questions have been raised. Hafiz Sayeed and his supposedly charitable fronts have been doing this for at least three decades, so what is the big deal in admitting it now? Did Pakistan really need a detailed investigation after so many years to find it out? Presuming that the action has been taken in right earnest, why has it taken so long for the Pakistan government to act?
The answers are clear. Pakistan has all along been treating terrorists and their organizations on its soil as strategic assets to launch attacks in other countries. In fact, its’ former President Gen. Musharraf is on record to say that Pakistan created these terrorists and have been nurturing them as an important asset for the country. Pakistan has been using these terrorist outfits for launching attacks in Kashmir and rest of India besides other countries. If Islamabad is feigning ignorance, it is doing so to cover up its misdeeds. That also explains why it has taken so long to file cases against these organizations.
Fact is, Pakistan is caught in a critical situation both internally and externally. It is in the grip of severe international pressure. Internally, it is facing a severe economic crisis making it difficult for the government to meet even day to day expenses. This has led to prices of essential commodities hitting the roof with public outcry looming large. Externally the world has made its position clear that it is not going to support Pakistan unless it takes firm action against terrorism. This was made clear at the G20 meeting in Osaka, Japan, recently. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog against terror funding has continued keeping Pakistan in the grey list and warned it of degrading it further; if Pakistan does not take concrete action against terror funding in its country. The warning was served at its plenary in Orlando, USA, on 21st June.
Even this belated action is suspect; since it is not for the first time that the Pakistan government is giving the impression of acting against the terrorists and their organizations. But the action has never been a serious one. It was always an eyewash to mislead world opinion. The only silver lining this time is that the decision to act against these organizations and individuals has been taken jointly by the civil government and the Army, leaving little scope for the Army coming in the way of acting sincerely against the outfits. But, whether that happens or not, remains to be seen. It is the fond hope of the civilized world to see that Pakistan acts honestly and with full might against the terrorists as much in its own interest as in the interest of global peace.
Understandably, New Delhi has rejected the crackdown on Hafiz Saeed as “cosmetic steps” and half-hearted measures undertaken to hoodwink the international community. India’s External Affairs Ministry stated that Pakistan’s sincerity to take action against the terrorists and terror groups will be judged on the basis of its’ ability to demonstrate “verifiable , credible and irreversible action against terror groups operating from Pakistani soil”
Script: Ashok Handoo, Political Commentator
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