India set to corner Pakistan on Masood Azhar issue at FATF meet

The Financial Action Task Force, or FATF, is an international financial watchdog. It examines whether countries can prevent money laundering and terror financing. Its work matters because financial systems can be used to support violent organisations. The article says the FATF will review Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts at its October 28-30 plenary meeting in Paris.

Pakistan’s record is already under scrutiny. It was placed on the FATF grey list from 2018 to 2022 for weaknesses involving illegal financial transactions, fund-raising by JeM and LeT, and implementation of sanctions against UN-designated terrorists. The Asia Pacific Group was also assigned continuing reviews after Pakistan left the list.

The current review will test whether Pakistan has maintained effective enforcement. The article highlights limited prosecutions, weak financial-sanctions implementation, and ongoing concerns over Masood Azhar. FATF pressure previously pushed Pakistan to act against some terror leaders, especially from LeT.

India plans to raise Masood Azhar because it says Pakistan has failed to crack down on the JeM chief’s activities. The issue matters at the FATF because the organisation examines whether countries enforce financial sanctions and counter terror financing. India believes Pakistan’s treatment of Azhar exposes a gap in its enforcement.

The key development is the Taliban’s denial. In September, spokesperson Zia Ahmad Thakal said Azhar was not in Afghanistan and that Pakistan had sent no formal communication about his presence there. This challenges Pakistani officials’ claim that Azhar has lived in Afghanistan since 2019. India also points to the absence of evidence showing action against him.

Indian officials have quietly sought support from partner countries and key FATF members. The issue is expected to arise during the October 28-30 plenary in Paris. India has contrasted Azhar’s case with steps Pakistan took against other UN-designated terrorists, including Hafiz Saeed.

Masood Azhar is the founder and chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed, or JeM. India wants him because it says he is wanted for several terror attacks, including the 2001 Parliament strike, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing. His status makes enforcement against him a major security and financial issue.

The United Nations Security Council designated Azhar as a global terrorist in May 2019. The article says this happened after China removed a block to his listing. It also identifies him as a UN-designated terrorist and says he appears on India’s most-wanted list. Pakistan’s FIA Red Book also lists him among its most-wanted terrorists.

Azhar was freed by India in 1999 with two other terrorists in exchange for passengers from hijacked flight IC 814. The article says Pakistan has maintained a seven-million-rupee bounty for him, while India argues that such announcements do not replace action against sanctioned terrorists.

The FATF operates through a global network of more than 200 jurisdictions and observer organisations. That scale gives its reviews broad reach across countries and financial systems. Its plenary meetings are important because delegates assess evolving threats to global financial integrity and security, rather than treating terror financing as only a national problem.

The article says delegates from across this network will gather in Paris for the October 28-30 plenary. It does not list the participating countries individually. It identifies the participants more broadly as jurisdictions and observer organisations connected to the FATF’s global network. The meeting will also review Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts.

This network allows FATF findings to create international pressure. Pakistan’s earlier grey-listing shows how scrutiny can lead to requirements for further action. The October meeting is the first under the presidency of Giles Thomson of the United Kingdom. The article says the FATF will discuss evolving financial and security threats there.

India’s central argument is that Pakistan has not demonstrated effective action against Masood Azhar. The article says Pakistan took some steps against other UN-designated terrorists, including LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, but offers no evidence of comparable action against Azhar. India sees that contrast as evidence of selective enforcement.

A second piece of evidence comes from Afghanistan. Pakistani officials have claimed that Azhar has been in Afghanistan since 2019. In September, Taliban spokesperson Zia Ahmad Thakal denied that Azhar was in Afghanistan and said Pakistan had sent no formal communication about his presence. That denial weakens Pakistan’s explanation for not acting against him.

India has also criticised Pakistan’s seven-million-rupee bounty as a “phoney announcement” and called for action against sanctioned terrorists based on Pakistani soil. The issue is expected at the FATF plenary, where Pakistan’s financial sanctions and anti-terror efforts will be reviewed.

If the FATF finds continuing weaknesses, Pakistan could face renewed pressure to strengthen enforcement of financial sanctions and terror-financing laws. The article does not announce a specific new penalty. It does show that FATF scrutiny can place a country under enhanced monitoring and demand measurable improvements.

Pakistan was on the FATF grey list from 2018 to 2022. The reasons included illegal financial transactions linked to JeM and LeT, weak implementation of sanctions against UN-designated terrorists, and limited prosecutions and convictions. After leaving the list, Pakistan was required to undergo continuing reviews by the Asia Pacific Group on specific points.

The practical consequence would therefore be continued international examination and pressure for action. The article says FATF and Western pressure pushed Pakistan to act against some terror leaders, especially from LeT. Concerns over Azhar, including his 2021 terror-financing conviction and arrest status, could remain part of that scrutiny.

Terrorist organisations need money for recruitment, travel, weapons, communications, and daily operations. They may raise it through donations, extortion, kidnapping, fraud, criminal trade, or businesses that hide the source of funds. They can then move money through cash couriers, bank accounts, informal transfer networks, front companies, or digital platforms. These methods vary by organisation.

Financial controls target the money rather than only the people carrying out attacks. Banks and authorities can identify unusual transfers, freeze accounts, block sanctioned individuals, and share information across borders. Investigators can also follow transactions to reveal supporters, intermediaries, and organisational links. The article connects these controls to Pakistan’s duties involving UN-designated terrorists.

The article specifically cites fund-raising and illegal financial transactions by JeM and LeT, plus weak implementation of financial sanctions. It also mentions limited terror prosecutions and convictions. Stronger controls can therefore disrupt operations, while weak enforcement allows sanctioned figures and networks to retain access to resources.