‘Pakistan must be put back on FATF grey list’, says Asaduddin Owaisi in Riyadh

RIYAD: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who is part of the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, said that Pakistan should be put back on the FATF grey list to curb the funding of terrorist groups.

He claimed that terrorist organisations are being trained in Pakistan and are trying to create unrest in India.

Owaisi also pointed to a photo showing a US-designated terrorist sitting next to Pakistan’s army chief, saying it shows clear links to terrorism.

Speaking at the interaction in Riyadh, Owaisi said, “…Pakistan must be brought back to the FATF grey list. That is where we will be able to control this terror financing of all these terrorist organisations. When this person (Asim Munir) was made a Field Marshal in Pakistan, a US-designated terrorist called Mohammad Ehsan was sitting right beside the Field Marshal. There are photographs of him shaking hands with this field marshal. There is clear evidence of Pakistan’s involvement. These terror groups are prospering over there, they are being trained over there, and the whole task is to destabilise India to create more Hindu Muslim riots in India.”

He further added that Indian investigators had given all the evidence to Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks, but no progress was made until global pressure forced action.

Owaisi stated that Pakistan first claimed key accused Sajid Mir was dead, but later admitted he was alive under FATF scrutiny.

“After 26/11, my government, headed by the then Prime Minister, late Dr Manmohan Singh, the Indian investigators went to Pakistan, gave them all the evidence, but you’ll be surprised to know that nothing moved forward. What made Pakistan move forward in this terrorist trial was when Pakistan was put on the FATF grey list. One meeting was held in Germany, and India wanted one Sajid Mir to be indicted, but Pakistan said he’s dead… Pakistan came up to the Committee of FATF and said Sajid Mir is alive. Can you imagine the country which was saying he’s dead, suddenly, he’s alive? And then the Pakistani government said that our courts have convicted him for some 5 to 10 years, but the main culprits of the 26/11 are still scot-free. They were convicted of money laundering, not for terrorism,” Owaisi said.

Owaisi added that Indian agencies had recorded conversations between the attackers and their handlers in Pakistan, where the terrorists were told to kill as many people as possible and were promised ‘Jannat’ (heaven) for doing so.

He further added, “…The Indian legal system followed all the due process of law, and Ajmal Kasab was sentenced to death, and he revealed many things. Our agencies were capable enough to record the audio conversations in which the terrorist group, sitting in Pakistan, were having with terrorists who were killing Indians in five-star hotels, and those conversations they were clearly told them not to lose heart, kill as many Indians as you can, and you’ll go to Jannat. This was the conversation that was recorded…”

The delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, also includes BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP Phangnon Konyak; BJP MP Rekha Sharma; AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi; Satnam Singh Sandhu MP; Ghulam Nabi Azad; and Ambassador Harsh Shringla.

The delegation aims to brief international partners on India’s response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria.

The multi-party delegation, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, has been initiated to counter global misinformation and highlight India’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. (ANI)