FATF: West backs India's call to prosecute Pakistan-based terrorists

India's call at FATF for investigation and prosecution of 30 terrorist leaders in Pakistan was strongly backed by the Western nations, a news report said

India's call for investigation and prosecution of 30 terrorist leaders, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed and operative Sajid Mir, allegedly involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, at the FATF was strongly backed by the Western nations, a news report said. 

 

The 30 terrorist leaders also included those designated as terrorists by UNSC; LeT's head of operations, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar. Azhar's brother Abdul Rauf Azhar and others designated under Indian and the US's domestic laws, Hindustan Times reported quoting people aware of the matter. 

 

However, since India's call at FATF over the failure to prosecute Pak-based terrorists and masterminds of 2008 attacks in which 166 were killed, Islamabad has done a little to address New Delhi's concerns, the people told HT.

 

While Saeed was named as being involved in preparations by Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist involved in the attack to be caught alive, the LeT leader wasn't named in the charge sheet filed by the Pakistani authorities.

 

The report said Mir was also never named for his role in the 2008 attacks, adding that he was recently convicted for being a member of the banned LeT under Pakistan's anti-terror act.

 

In India's list, the nine terrorist leaders designated under UNSC are Saeed, Lakhvi, Azhar, and LeT's members, namely Muhammad Ashraf, Salam Bhuttavi, Zafar Iqbal, Mahmoud Mohammad Ahmed Bahaziq and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) spokesman Yahya Mujahid, the report said. 

 

Others on India's list included senior leaders of LeT and JeM, namely Abdul Rehman Makki and Ibrahim Athar. India had also included Dawood Ibrahim in the list, but Western nations did not go along with it, the people aware of the matter told Hindustan Times. 

 

Earlier this month, China blocked India and US's move at the United Nations Security Council to designate Makki, Saeed's brother-in-law. 

 

India's call at FATF to assess Pakistan's efforts to curb terror financing and money laundering was backed by the West, as the US played a crucial role in stepping up pressure by naming Mir and Azhar in its report on terrorism in Pakistan, the Hindustan Times reported, quoting its sources. 

 

According to HT, Mir was given three terms of jail of six months, eight years, and seven years by an anti-terrorism court in Gujranwala in Pakistan's Punjab province in May.

 

Pakistan has also reportedly committed to acting against Masood Azhar for terror financing before a FATF team visits the country. The visit is part of FATF's procedure to take Pakistan off its grey list.