India doubts Pak efficacy over conviction of Saeed

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 13

Reacting to the Lahore Anti Terrorism Court convicting Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed to 11 years in jail, India has said the efficacy of this decision remains to be seen.

Government sources here asked whether action would be limited to one UN-proscribed individual (Saeed) against whom it cannot defer action or if Pakistan would extend its anti-terrorism crusade to all other terrorists and individuals operating from territories under its control? They also said India still awaited the expeditious conviction in cross-border terrorist attacks, including in Mumbai and Pathankot.

The US has been more forthcoming than India by describing the conviction as an important step forward – both toward holding LeT accountable for its crimes, and for Pakistan in meeting its international commitments to combat terrorist financing. However, the US is on the same page as India by earlier noting that Pakistan has taken some steps against terrorist groups operating within Pakistan and that “it is vital that Pakistan take action to shut down all groups once and for all.”

The conviction of Saeed has virtually confirmed that Pakistan will not be blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) when it meets for its plenary in Paris on February 17. Another indication that Pakistan is out of the doghouse comes from the UN Secretary General António Guterres’ visit to Pakistan from February 15 and the ongoing visit of Turkish President Tayyab Erdogan who has opposed any move to blacklist Islamabad at the FATF. Besides, Pakistan’s security fears from the western border seem to have been assuaged with the recent killing of four anti-state militant leaders operating from Afghanistan.

Sources pointed to an earlier Trump statement that said, “I think Pakistan is going to help us out to extricate ourselves (from Afghanistan).” Pakistan has sought to step up its economic ties with the US by becoming a customer for its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and allowing ExxonMobil to re-enter the country after 27 years.

They said the US was anyway more focussed on getting Iran blacklisted at FATFA for not enacting two key UN conventions on money laundering and terrorist financing.