Murad blames Indian atrocities for terrorism in the region

Sindh’s chief minister said on Monday that terrorism and its related activities will come to an end only after peace is restored in the entire region on the eastern and western fronts, otherwise they will continue to simmer.

CM Syed Murad Ali Shah said this while talking to an American delegation led by Consul General Robert Silberstein and the deputy assistant secretary for strategic policy, Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, US Department of the Treasury.

Shah said that terrorism has been simmering in the region because of Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir as well as against Muslims within its own borders. “This must be stopped in the larger interest of peace in the entire region.”

The chief executive said that in Afghanistan, its government has a very limited control and writ within the state, so conspiracies for terrorist activities are hatched there and then exported to Pakistan.

He said that the provincial government has been fighting against terrorism for the past many years, adding that now the administration has been able to control it considerably. Talking about financing for terrorism, CM Shah said that a close coordination between the provincial and federal government agencies has been developed, adding that 19 cases have been detected and five of them have ended in convictions.

He said that the provincial government has established a dedicated unit within the Sindh Home Department to deal with matters of financing terrorism, adding that under the charity regulation law, all the charity and donation matters are being regulated.

The chief executive said that donations or charity to any organisation, including NGOs and nonprofits, is being monitored through the banking system and an eagle eye has been put on their utilisation. “We have almost plugged this loophole through effective laws and constant monitoring.”

The CM told the visiting delegation that the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Sindh police has arrested around 500 terrorists during the past three years and a large number of them have been convicted.

The delegation appreciated the efforts of the provincial government and assured technical and other support against activities related to financing terrorism. They discussed a systematic mechanism of intelligence work, monitoring and choking the terror financing system with Shah.

The chief executive said that a complete ban has been imposed on collecting hides of sacrificial animals. He said that under the new arrangement, hide collection is allowed only to those organisations that are certified by the relevant deputy commissioners, adding that use of funds generated through the hides will also be audited.

Shah said that a comprehensive and vigorous operation has been launched against drug dealers and peddlers. Through this operation, choking terror financing has also been ensured. “We are very much active in stopping terror financing through coercive, targeted and focused measures and strategies.”