An UN-proscribed global terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), openly sought funds for jihad in Peshawar and other cities during the Eid celebrations. By letting this happen, Pakistan has violated a key redline set by the global anti-terrorist financing watchdog, FATF, in letting the country off the greylist last year, European Times reported.
According to local residents, members of JeM were reportedly seeking funds for carrying out jihad in Kashmir and Palestine in Bagh-e-Naran, a suburb on the outskirts of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in April
this year. Several Pakistani Twitter users have since pointed out that similar fundraising activities by extremist groups were happening in other areas as well.
Many of them said these fund-raisings had been a regular feature at many mosques, sometimes under the protection of security personnel. There were other Twitter statements showing terrorist groups openly seeking funds in mosques in Karachi, European Times reported.
The incident has raised warning bell for India. According to sources, New Delhi has alerted diplomatic, security and intelligence networks so as to gather evidence-based inputs about this development. “Once concrete inputs are collected by the agencies, India will take appropriate action at the global forums such as FATF and the United Nations,” diplomatic sources told The Daily Guardian. “Indian officials are in touch with the US intelligence agencies to share information in this regard,” sources added.
By allowing Jaish-e-Mohammad to collect funds for jihad, Pakistan has violated a key deadline set by anti-terrorist financing watchdog, FATF, in letting the country off the grey list last year. “This is a serious development that should be raised by the Indian side during the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting when discussion is focussed on terrorism,” said diplomats.
Some media reports quoting local residents in Peshawar and other cities of Pakistan said that members of JeM were collecting funds for carrying out what they called jihad in various parts of the region including Kashmir. “What is more disturbing and worrisome is that the government in Islamabad is a mute spectator to fundraising activities by the terror outfit like this. This can be interpreted as Pakistan’s consent for such activities. This is something that the UN and FATF must take notice of,” official sources said.
There were several messages and pictures on Twitter over the past few days showing that the members of JeM were collecting funds at several places, reports said. “What does it all prove? It proves that Pakistan has failed miserably to keep its promise to FATF to curb terror funding,” officials pointed out.
“As Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is going to take place on 4-5 May, India must voice its concern over this development in Pakistan when the conclave discusses terrorism and security issues in the region,” diplomatic sources said.
