Pakistan permits terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad to seek funds for jihad in Kashmir, violates FATF redline

New Delhi, May 3: In a significant development, the UN-proscribed global terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), openly sought funds for jihad in Peshawar and other cities during the Eid celebrations. This has led a key violation by Pakistan set by the global anti-terrorist financing watchdog, FATF, in letting the country off the greylist last year.

 

 

Reports suggest that 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 netizens 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.

 

In fact, Jaish-e-Mohammad had been active even since Pakistan was freed of sanctions by FATF last year.

 

Fundraising by jihadi groups during Eid was a common practice in the recent past. Since greater scrutiny came to bear on such terrorist fundraising, Pakistan had restricted such events but never stopped. Terrorist groups have been using devious methods to carry out such activities recently.