Pakistan may escape blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) due to China’s backing and, also, some tactical support from the West. This should make India reflect on its strategy to curb Pakistan’s terror financing. An important thing to keep in mind here is that the FATF does not always work on the basis of merit of the task at hand and there is always an element of the political consideration that comes into play when such decisions are made. Beijing considers Islamabad an all-weather ally. A lot of Pakistan’s debt is owed to China and blacklisting by the FATF could affect Islamabad’s ability to repay. Similarly, the U.S. needs Pakistan in its Afghan withdrawal policy. Hence, rather than being dependent on the FATF, India needs to improve its own economic standing in such a way that a fear of retribution from New Delhi is enough to dissuade major powers from offering assistance to Pakistan.
Sandeep Kumar Meena,
Delhi
