Pakistan slams US report on terrorism as 'self-contradictory, selective'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday rejected the United States’ annual report on terrorism for 2019, which accused Pakistan of continuing to be a ‘safe haven’ for certain regional terrorist groups.
“We are disappointed with the US State Department’s Annual Country Report on Terrorism for 2019, which is self-contradictory and selective in its characterization of Pakistan’s efforts for countering terrorism and terrorist financing,” Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.
The US report released on June 24 looked at global counter-terrorism trends during the past year and alleged that “Pakistan allowed groups targeting Afghanistan, including the Afghan Taliban and the affiliated Haqqani Network, as well as groups targeting India, such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), its affiliated organizations, and the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), to operate from its territory.”
Islamabad said that “while the report recognizes that Al-Qaeda has been seriously degraded in the region, it neglects to mention Pakistan’s crucial role in decimating Al-Qaeda, thereby diminishing the threat that the terrorist group once posed to the world.”
Foreign office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said, “The Report acknowledges the sharp decrease in the incidence of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. However, it neglects to explain that this was only possible because Pakistan’s resolute counter-terrorism operations have targeted proscribed groups and outfits without discrimination.”
She said Pakistan rejects any insinuation about any safe haven and it will not allow any group or entity to use its territory against any country.
“On the contrary, it is Pakistan that faces the threat of terrorism from externally based and foreign sponsored groups, like the TTP, Daesh-K and others,” she said. “The Report is again either silent or vague on the origins and locations of these terrorist groups.”
Farooqui said, “Pakistan remains committed to fulfilling its obligations under the UNSC 1267 sanctions regime for the freezing of assets and denial of funds and economic resources to all designated entities and individuals,” and added that in recent months, Pakistan has prosecuted and convicted the leadership of several proscribed groups.
Pakistan also continued to implement the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) action plan, and has undertaken wide ranging and systemic reforms to that end, Farooqui continued.
“While it notes the progress made by Pakistan under the action plan, the report did not capture the political commitment, revamping of Pakistan’s AML/CFT [anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism] regime, and our consistent and sustainable actions which have also been recognized by FATF,” the FO said.
It added that the report had also failed to acknowledge the full extent of Pakistan’s support for the Afghan peace process and facilitation of US-Taliban direct talks culminating in the Peace Agreement of 29 February 2020.
Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US, Ali Sarwer Naqvi, said that although the report was critical of Pakistan, it did recognize many positive steps which the country has taken during the past one year.
“The effect of this report will be somewhat critical but not highly critical as previous reports were more critical to us,” Naqvi told Arab News.
“There are many countries including USA, United Kingdom, France, Germany and other developed countries which have terrorist organizations but it did not mean that their governments support them. United States should consider this aspect as well,” he added.
Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), who is also a member of Prime Minister’s economic advisory committee, said the report can create challenges for Pakistan in the upcoming FATF review in October.
“The US and India can use this report in FATF’s upcoming review. Pakistan has three months to take more steps to satisfy FATF and mitigate the effects of this report,” he told Arab News.
“Pakistan has improved jurisdictions of its law enforcement agencies vis-a-vis money laundering and terror financing,” he said hoping that the report would not undermine these positive developments in the financial watchdog’s upcoming plenary.