Pakistan Reactivates Seven Terror Launch Pads In PoK Amid Review Meeting On Terror Financing

After India and Pakistan face off at the UN meeting on September 10 where both the countries were suggested to make peace, Pakistan is believed to have reactivated terror camps and seven launch pads across LOC.

The Islamic nation is planning to infiltrate 275 terrorists in Kashmir region including Afghan and Pashtoon mercenaries. The information was disclosed by the Lashkar terrorists who were incarcerated last week, the Times Of India reported. It is suspected that more than 100 terrorists are moving in and around the Lipa Valley of Pakistan administered Kashmir.

The intel comes at a time when the tensions between India and Pakistan are escalated after the abrogation of Article 370 that confers the state of Jammu Kashmir with autonomy.

The reactivation of terror-launch pads has come ahead of the global terror finance watchdog Financial Action Task Force(FATF) meeting scheduled for October this year. FATF establishes norms for “legal, regulatory and operational measures” to fight against money laundering, terror financing and other related threats to the security and integrity of the international financial system. FATF has put Pakistan on the grey list and will review the steps it has taken to prevent terrorism.

The reactivation of launchpads can either lead to FATF downgrading Pakistan to blacklist can or remain to be on the grey list. The countries that face strategic deficiencies and are suspected as safe-havens for terror-related activities fall on either category. However, Pakistan’s intention remains to be dubious as India and Pakistan have together participated in an international anti-terror exercise that began on September 10th, Tuesday. The 15 day-long military exercises are taking place under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Russia.

The Asia-Pacific joint group of FATF presented Pakistan a list of 125 questions to review its efforts to curb terrorism at a meeting in Bangkok on Monday.

Now, the 15 member Pakistani delegation led by Economic Affairs Minister Hammad Azhar has to convince the FATF during the four-day meeting as to why they should not be blacklisted at the Paris review from October 16-18.

The grey and blacklist countries face difficulties to garner funds and support from the international agencies as they are considered to be hoarding offshore accounts to fund the suspicious activities in the state. The reactivation of terror-launch pads proves to be yet another setback for Pakistan’s future as the sword hangs low over its head.

Also Read: We Can Criticize Government Over Kashmir, But Outside India, We Are One’: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor