FATF Confirmed Pakistan’s Anti-Terror Measures: Bilawal

Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that we have recently gone through strict action by the FATF regarding the groups against which India has reservations. The international community in the FATF has confirmed Pakistan’s actions against these groups.

In an interview with Indian media, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Pakistan does not allow any group to carry out terrorist attacks inside or outside the country. Pakistan has been a victim of terrorism for the past several decades, and Pakistan is fighting a war against terrorism. 92,000 Pakistanis have sacrificed their lives in the war against terrorism.

He said that last year, more than 200 incidents of terrorism occurred, more than 1,200 people were killed, terrorist attacks in Pakistan are continuing this year as well, this year is the worst year in Pakistan’s history in terms of terrorism, I myself have been a victim of terrorism and can feel the pain of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

He said that our region has a history of terrorism, including Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other terrorist groups. Due to the Cold War, Pakistan’s policy was that these groups were neither considered nor called terrorists at that time.

The word terrorist came after 9/11. Before that, such groups were seen as freedom fighters, and those who fought in Afghanistan and during the Cold War were seen as such. Even then, my mother and my party did not share this view.

He said that as my father and others have been saying, Pakistan has gone through a process in the past which India ignored. The FATF has institutionally confirmed Pakistan’s actions against terrorists.

According to records, Pakistan registered 2,645 cases against terrorism financing. In terrorism financing cases, Pakistan arrested 2,727 people and sentenced 549 people. In Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed was sentenced to 31 years in prison for terrorism financing in 2022.

Regarding the Mumbai attacks, the PP chairman said that the case related to the Mumbai attacks is in court, in which India has refused to cooperate, and has not yet presented the necessary witnesses. We have a case related to the Mumbai attacks, India should come and participate in it.

Let the witnesses present themselves. We also want justice for the victims of the Mumbai attacks. Therefore, there is a need for India and Pakistan to restore relations in such a way that justice can be provided to the victims of the Mumbai attacks through mutual cooperation.

He said that along with the Mumbai attack, I would also like to remind you of the Samjhauta Express attack in 2007. In the Samjhauta Express attack, 40 Pakistani citizens lost their lives on Indian soil. In India, there was no judicial action against the Samjhauta Express attack, but the confession statement was also withdrawn. Pakistan is also pursuing the case and is determined to punish those involved in the attacks.

He said that India lied to its people that Pakistan was involved in the Pahalgam attack. Till date, India has not been able to bring any evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam incident. During the war, the Indian government and the Indian media lied and deceived the Indian people.