As the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meets in Paris to investigate terror-financing and money laundering and deliberate progress of Pakistan - the Baloch, Pashtun, Afghan, Uyghur, and Hong Kong communities living in exile in France will protest outside its headquarters in Paris on February 19.
"This is to remind FATF of its commitments and stop Pakistan's role in terror financing and money laundering in the country and in neighbouring Afghanistan and its nexus with China that lobbies for Islamabad to be not held accountable," said a statement issued by Pakistani exiled journalist Taha Siddiqui.
The Paris-based watchdog placed Pakistan in the 'Grey-List' in 2018 on its performance to address international concerns on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CGT).
Although Pakistan adopts the tactic of showcasing strict action against terror financing, terror organisations like the Lashkar e Taiba (now rebranded as the Jamat ud Dawa-JuD), Jaish e Mohammed (JeM), and the Afghan Taliban are continuing to function freely in the country and have been collecting funds.
Pakistan has been using its established and active money laundering networks in Africa and Europe not only for ordinary Pakistanis sending remittances but also for terror groups and the Pakistani intelligence to fund their activities abroad.
The UK has put Pakistan on its high-risk list of countries due to its money laundering and terror financing activities since the money laundered through these networks is used to fund criminal activities.
With anti-France sentiments growing in Pakistan, these active money laundering networks may be used by terror groups in Pakistan to facilitate terror activities in France.
Pakistan has well-established and active drug trafficking networks in Europe and Africa, specifically in Mozambique, South Africa, the Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
In an earlier statement, the Dissident Club claimed that "The money generated through these networks is an important source of income for terror activities, and is used to finance militancy in Africa. In 2019, Europol busted a large organised criminal organisation and arrested more than 150 people who were working in trafficking drugs from Pakistan, China and Laos into Africa and then into Europe."
It further added, "The FATF is dragging its feet on these issues in Pakistan due to China's considerable influence on the organisation. China's economic influence over the West consequently results in these FATF member countries also not holding Pakistan accountable for its activities in funding terror."
China, a close strategic partner of Pakistan, has a poor record of compliance with targeted financial sanction regimes relating to terrorist financing and proliferation financing, and is also committing grave human rights violations in Xinjiang and other parts of China.
"If the FATF succumbs to Chinese pressure and does not blacklist Pakistan, it will indirectly be responsible for the continued abuses against the people of these regions," said the statement.
( With inputs from ANI )
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