Consequences of cherry-picking

• Need for parliamentary oversight of security policies

Despite customary denials of cherry-picking, actions that should have been taken 13 years back have continued to be delayed to protect certain networks. Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JUD), Al-Rashid Trust, Al-Akhtar Trust, and Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) have remained on UN Security Council’s sanctions list for years. Action has only been initiated after seeing the ominous consequences of the shortsighted policy. Some of the groups sanctioned by the UNSC are still being protected like JeM which was listed by the Security Council on 17 October 2001. China has so far put a hold on India’s application to place Masood Azhar in the list of UN designated terrorists. Pakistan had initially denied the organised presence of the Haqqani network or the Afghan Taliban in Pakistan. There is now a grudging recognition of “residual signatures of terrorists” who take advantage of the presence of Afghan refugees and lack of effective border security coordination.

This shows why the world takes a cynical view of Pakistan’s narrative based on permanent denial. It is not only the Americans under a clueless president who reject the narrative but also countries that Pakistan is keen to have good relations with like Britain, France and Germany. The BRICS resolution passed at its Xiamen summit in September last year indicates even China shares some of the reservations about Pakistan’s narrative. The Xiamen resolution expressed concern over the violence caused by Haqqani network, Lashkar-i-Taiba, and Jaish-i-Mohammad among others. The resolution also committed the signatories to intensifying their cooperation against terror financing and money laundering, within the framework established by the United Nations, specifically the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The chickens are coming home to roost now. The US and its European allies have tabled a motion with the FATF with a view to placing Pakistan on a watch list of non-compliants vis-a-vis global anti-terror financing measures. As Miftah Ismail has put it, FATF listing can subject international transactions from Pakistan to greater scrutiny, thus increasing the cost of doing international transactions and ultimately higher cost of doing business. This in turn would lead to fall in exports and negative balance of payments. The presence of these networks will also keep investors away.