Passage Of Anti-Terror Bills In Pakistan-Hoping Against Hope.
Last week, the joint session of Pakistan Parliament passed the Anti–terrorism Act (Amendment) bill and two other bills related to terror financing and money laundering in the country. This happened after the opposition dominated Senate rejected the bills repeatedly during the last one month. The bills ostensibly aim to meet some of the conditions imposed by Paris based Financial Action Task Force on Pakistan, if it wanted to come out of the FATF grey list. The financial watchdog put Pakistan in the grey list in June 2018 when it found the country dithering in acting against terror funding.
On the face of it, Pakistan Government’s move to pass the bills in a specially convened joint session of parliament is a welcome step. But at the same time, it appears to be a desperate move by the Imran Khan government to come out of the FATF grey list. It is not known how well intentioned and sincere Mr. Imran Khan is in undertaking this exercise. If past experience is anything to go by, the move may be more in the nature of window dressing than a real change of heart.
The FATF is to review its’ position next month after extending the deadline from December 2019, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. Pakistan has been asked to take action on the 27 items, identified by the financial body. Being put in the grey list has deprived Pakistan of taking loans from global financial institutions like the IMF, World Bank, The Asian Development Bank and the European Union. This has already crushed Pakistan’s financial backbone and the possibility of getting pushed deeper into the black list, if Islamabad fails to satisfy the FATF again this time, would mean sanctions which Pakistan can ill afford.
Pakistan badly needs to restore its economic health. Any further delay in action against the terrorists would be disastrous. Prime Minister Imran Khan is therefore trying hard to give the world the impression of moving in the direction set by FATF. Last month, Pakistan designated over 100 people as terrorists to evade black listing but what happened after that is still under wraps.
The spirit of the 3 bills passed at the joint session of Pakistan Parliament cannot be faulted. The anti-money laundering amendment bill is aimed at streamlining the existing laws and raise it to international standards as prescribed by FATF. So is the anti–terrorism amendment bill. But, the million dollar question is whether Pakistan is sincere in doing that or it just wants to wriggle out of the FATF net!
Terror funding is a major factor in dealing with terrorism in Pakistan. That is because the civilian governments and the Pak Army have never been on the same page on the issue of eradicating terrorism in the country. In fact, both institutions have been nurturing terrorists and using them as an instrument of state policy. One doesn’t know if Imran Khan has the army on his side this time.
The opposition parties have a different story to tell. Soon after the Parliament passed the bills, though with a thin margin, PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Shahbaz Sharif told a joint press conference that the government was trying to strengthen National Accountability Bureau in the name of FATF to crush the opposition parties. They said the bill empowers the investigating agencies to arrest anybody without a warrant, conduct undercover operations, and intercept communications and access computer systems. They even called it “a black day” in Pakistan’s history. Mr. Imran Khan accused them of protecting themselves in the facade of democracy. He charged the opposition of stalling the passage of the bills for self-interest. In a sweeping remark he said the opposition parties would even push the country into the FATF black list to protect their ill-gotten money.
It is hoped that this time, Imran Khan acts against terrorists sincerely, in the interests of the people of his own country. Or this too would turn out to be hoping against hope.
Script: Ashok Handoo, Political Commentator
On the face of it, Pakistan Government’s move to pass the bills in a specially convened joint session of parliament is a welcome step. But at the same time, it appears to be a desperate move by the Imran Khan government to come out of the FATF grey list. It is not known how well intentioned and sincere Mr. Imran Khan is in undertaking this exercise. If past experience is anything to go by, the move may be more in the nature of window dressing than a real change of heart.
The FATF is to review its’ position next month after extending the deadline from December 2019, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. Pakistan has been asked to take action on the 27 items, identified by the financial body. Being put in the grey list has deprived Pakistan of taking loans from global financial institutions like the IMF, World Bank, The Asian Development Bank and the European Union. This has already crushed Pakistan’s financial backbone and the possibility of getting pushed deeper into the black list, if Islamabad fails to satisfy the FATF again this time, would mean sanctions which Pakistan can ill afford.
Pakistan badly needs to restore its economic health. Any further delay in action against the terrorists would be disastrous. Prime Minister Imran Khan is therefore trying hard to give the world the impression of moving in the direction set by FATF. Last month, Pakistan designated over 100 people as terrorists to evade black listing but what happened after that is still under wraps.
The spirit of the 3 bills passed at the joint session of Pakistan Parliament cannot be faulted. The anti-money laundering amendment bill is aimed at streamlining the existing laws and raise it to international standards as prescribed by FATF. So is the anti–terrorism amendment bill. But, the million dollar question is whether Pakistan is sincere in doing that or it just wants to wriggle out of the FATF net!
Terror funding is a major factor in dealing with terrorism in Pakistan. That is because the civilian governments and the Pak Army have never been on the same page on the issue of eradicating terrorism in the country. In fact, both institutions have been nurturing terrorists and using them as an instrument of state policy. One doesn’t know if Imran Khan has the army on his side this time.
The opposition parties have a different story to tell. Soon after the Parliament passed the bills, though with a thin margin, PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Shahbaz Sharif told a joint press conference that the government was trying to strengthen National Accountability Bureau in the name of FATF to crush the opposition parties. They said the bill empowers the investigating agencies to arrest anybody without a warrant, conduct undercover operations, and intercept communications and access computer systems. They even called it “a black day” in Pakistan’s history. Mr. Imran Khan accused them of protecting themselves in the facade of democracy. He charged the opposition of stalling the passage of the bills for self-interest. In a sweeping remark he said the opposition parties would even push the country into the FATF black list to protect their ill-gotten money.
It is hoped that this time, Imran Khan acts against terrorists sincerely, in the interests of the people of his own country. Or this too would turn out to be hoping against hope.
Script: Ashok Handoo, Political Commentator
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