Pakistani terrorist organizations Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are utilizing the situation in Gaza to gather funds for rebuilding terror infrastructure and enlisting new members for anti-India activities, as per a report. The report highlighted that these groups are adapting their financing methods due to gaps in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) regulations post Pakistan’s greylisting.
A report from Athens-based Geopolitico revealed a concerning trend in Pakistan, where UN-designated terrorist groups like JeM and LeT are raising funds under the guise of Gaza relief aid. Notably, the family members of JeM Chief Masood Azhar are reportedly involved in recent terror financing efforts, aiming to evade FATF scrutiny by collecting funds directly into their wallets.
The Israel-Hamas conflict, triggered by a Hamas attack in October 2023, has provided a cover for Pakistani terror outfits to intensify their fundraising activities, the report stated. Geopolitico mentioned that Azhar’s son, Hammad Azhar, and brother Talha al-Saif are leading the fundraising campaign through various platforms like Easypaisa and cryptocurrencies for religious purposes, including mosque reconstruction.
Since the early 1990s, these groups have been gathering funds from Pakistani diaspora networks in Gulf and Western nations through fake charitable fronts, diverting significant portions towards terrorist activities in India. The report emphasized the need for close monitoring by the international community and FATF to prevent potential crises in the Indian subcontinent due to terror financing and money laundering activities.
It is crucial for the global community to acknowledge Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and blacklist the top leadership of outfits like JeM and LeT to avert threats to millions of lives, the report urged.
