KARACHI:
Pakistan has been in and out of FATF’s grey list thrice since 2008. In 2010, Pakistan managed to get out of grey list but was again put on it again in 2012 for three years till 2015. Then in June 2018, we were again grey-listed by FATF and remained there till 2022, expected to be removed after on-spot clearance by their monitoring team in October.
Whatever the politics and intrigues of India, who were definitely involved in cross-border terror financing, the fact remains that we as a state have failed to take effective steps to curb our alleged involvement in the matter. Merely formulating laws without the will to implement them has only eroded the state’s credibility. Individuals may have benefitted, but Pakistan is facing its worst economic crisis as a result. Since 1958, we have sought almost 22 IMF financial assistance programmes but have failed to raise our revenues through direct taxation on all sources of income and instead chose to take repetitive loans to bridge the widening deficit. The elite capture continues unabated and the black economy, which is more than the documented economy, continues to enjoy tax rebates, amnesty schemes and patronisation despite the threat of Pakistan defaulting.
As a responsible state we failed when Zia gave refuge to extremists and terrorists to wage a ‘jihad’ and fight the US proxy war. We cannot shift the blame on the US because we willingly allowed ourselves to be used and let our sovereignty be compromised by allowing private militias to exist and operate from within our territory. This abuse by few powerful elements must cease otherwise desperation may drive masses to force change, which will involve chaos, anarchy and revolution.
Malik Tariq Ali
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2022.
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