Pakistan 'must be put back' on FATF grey list, says Asaduddin Owaisi. Here's what India plans to do next

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said that Pakistan "must be put back" on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Speaking in Riyadh, he said that this is the only way to control the terror financing of the terrorist organisations operating out of Pakistan. 

Owaisi is a member of the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda to brief international partners about India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people, including one Nepali national.

The delegation led by Panda has so far engaged with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain, and their next stop is Algeria. "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," he said. 

Owaisi said terrorist organisations are being trained in Pakistan and are trying to create unrest in India. He also showed the picture of Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir with Mohammad Ehsan, a US-designated terrorist. 

"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," he said. 

Highlighting "clear evidence of Pakistan's involvement", he stated: "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."

Meanwhile, New Delhi is preparing to submit a detailed dossier of verifiable evidence to the FATF at its upcoming meeting, urging the global body to put Islamabad back on its grey list. India's presentation to the global body aims to seek renewed international scrutiny of Pakistan's financial practices in light of its alleged support for terrorism and misuse of international financial aid.

The dossier India is working on includes financial records, intelligence reports, and international inputs that prove Pakistan's continued support for terror groups targeting India. The evidence to be presented by New Delhi would feature systematic and not isolated instances of support from direct funding to logistical assistance for terror activities, India Today reported, citing officials. 

As per India, Pakistan allocates nearly 18 per cent of its national budget to defence, above the global average of 10-14 per cent for conflict-ridden nations. Citing this expenditure, India argues that such a high allocation towards defence in times of economic crisis shows misplaced priorities and undermines Pakistan's claims of peaceful intent. 

Moreover, there has been a rise in Pakistan's arms imports between 19890 and 2023, when it received IMF assistance. In these years, Pakistan's arms imports rose by 20 per cent, clearly suggesting that IMF aid meant for economic reforms may have been redirected towards military purchases. 

(With inputs from Aishwarya Paliwal)