Dismissing report on terrorism

Pakistan has dismissed assertions made in the U.S. Department of State’s recently-released Country Report on Terrorism 2018 regarding its counter-terrorism efforts.

The report states that Unites States and its allies made major strides to defeat and degrade international terrorist organisations but despite the successes the terrorist landscape remained complex in 2018. The detailed review of the successes and challenges facing Pakistan is less than flattering.

The report states that Al-Qaeda aims to reestablish itself as the vanguard of the global terror movement after ISIS’s setbacks. The group continues to expand their rank and recruits as well as plot and carry out attacks. It adds that remnants of the group’s leadership are active in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

This assertion has earned the ire of the Foreign Office which stated that Al-Qaeda has been eliminated from the region. It further said that the report has overlooked the factual situation on the ground and the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan which have made the world a safer place.

Pakistan has also taken exception to the report’s assertion that it has not restricted the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network from operating in alleged safe havens and threatening US and Afghan forces. The report also states that Pakistan’s government failed to limit groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad to raise money, recruit, train, and even allow their members to contest elections.

Pakistan has responded that it facilitated direct talks between the US and Afghan Taliban in good faith and its contributions are widely acknowledged. The Foreign Office argued that Pakistan is rather a victim of terrorism and that terror groups conduct terrorist activities against the nation from across the border.

The report does acknowledge that Pakistan’s government and military continued efforts to disrupt attacks and eliminate anti-state militants. However, it states Pakistan was placed of the FATF’s grey list due to deficiencies in the anti-money laundering and terror financing laws as well as failure to implement UN sanctions against designated entities.

Pakistan has expressed commitment to take actions under the National Action Plan (NAP) and its obligations under UNSC sanctions regime. Pakistan is continuing efforts to implement the FATF action plan and is undertaking madrassah reforms to restrict the spread of violent ideology.

It is evident that Pakistan is disappointed that its counter-terrorism efforts are not acknowledged. Pakistan has suffered immensely from the scourge of terrorism since the last two decades resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and economic revenue. Pakistan’s commitment, contributions and sacrifices, should be fully appreciated and recognised as it remains committed to the global counter-terrorism fight.