Pakistan's terror hotspots grow but FATF scrutiny is avoided

JEM'S RS 3.91 BILLION DIGITAL SHADOW

- SIMONTINI BHATTACHARJEE

NEW DELHI: A new inquiry has brought to light a complex terror financing network that reveals a risky flaw in Pakistan's counter-terror apparatus. Contrary to commitments made to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the listed organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), under the leadership of Masood Azhar, has surreptitiously established a parallel fundraising system that operates outside of international scrutiny. At the centre of this shadow system is an online campaign of PKR 3.91 billion (Rs 391 crore), channelled not through traditional banks but through Pakistan's growing digital wallet infrastructure.