WHY PAKISTAN REMAINS UNDER GLOBAL WATCH

CROSS-BORDER TERRORISM AND THE ROLE OF FATF:

- SYED JAHANZEEB

On April 22, 2025, the tranquil slopes of Baisaran in Pahalgam, a tourist haven in South Kashmir, were transformed into a site of bloodshed and horror. Gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists enjoying a spring afternoon in the verdant meadows.

By the time the violence ceased, 26 innocent lives had been lost, and several others were left grievously wounded. Among the dead were children, women, and elderly tourists who had come seeking peace and natural beauty but instead encountered death at the hands of terrorists. The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow affiliate of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, swiftly claimed responsibility for the massacre.

The attack sent shockwaves not only across India but also drew international condemnation. However, to many who have closely observed the trajectory of terrorism in South Asia, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, this was not surprising. It was a painful yet familiar chapter in the long saga of Pakistan's continuing support to proxy terrorist groups. Despite repeated promises to the international community and obligations under global counter-terror frameworks, Pakistan has repeatedly failed—or refused—to eliminate the infrastructure that nourishes and exports terror across borders.

The recent Pahalgam attack underlines a broader, more sinister pattern. Even as Pakistan projects itself as a victim of terrorism and a partner in counter-terrorism efforts, it continues to provide safe haven, ideological support, and financial backing to groups that operate with impunity from its soil. The TRF, which emerged in 2019 as a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba to escape the scrutiny of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), is a case in point. Though Pakistan claims that it has cracked down on Lashkar and similar groups, these terror outfits merely rebrand themselves under new names and continue to operate, recruit, and execute attacks.