Bank accounts of 5,000 terror suspects to be monitored

LAHORE
To choke terror financing in Pakistan under the National Action Plan (NAP), details of the bank accounts of over 5,000 terror suspects placed in the list of 4th Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 will be monitored, it has been learnt.
This was agreed in a meeting held in Islamabad on Monday. Federal Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan chaired the meeting in which officials of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Immigration Directorate, Counter Terrorism Department, NACTA and intelligence agencies participated.
Choking financing to terrorists and terrorist organisations is a one key point in the 20-point National Action Plan which was agreed by all the political parties in December last year after a devastating attack on Army Public School in Peshawar which jolted the country.
In Pakistan, over 5000 terror suspects are listed in the 4th Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.
Among those, 2,500 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 1,800 in Punjab, 300 in Balochistan, 450 in Sindh, Islamabad Capital Territory 50 and Gilgit Baltistan listed around 20 terror suspects in the 4th Schedule.
This is part of the ongoing crackdown over sympathisers, financiers and facilitators of the banned outfits across the country.
A source, who attended the meeting seeking anonymity, told The News that it has been agreed by the minister that besides banned outfits, details of bank accounts of all those included in the 4th Schedule would help a great deal in choking the funding of terrorists.
Their all transactions, local or foreign, will be monitored strictly, he added.
He said the Financial Management Unit (FMU) of SBP would establish a database of all the details of bank accounts of suspects which would be duly shared with the FIA, CTDs, NACTA and intelligence agencies. The date will be analysed then and there.
He said to monitor financing through non-banking channels such as hundi-hawala and intelligence sharing would be made difficult for financiers-cum-facilitators.
He further said the FIA and SBP would play a key role in choking of terrorists financing along with the CTDs and intelligence agencies.
The spokesman for interior ministry was not available for comments despite attempts made on his cellphone number.