Financing of terrorism

The federal cabinet has approved amendments to the Anti- Terrorism Act 1997 and increased punishments for financiers of terrorism. Under the new laws, jail terms will be doubled for any individual or entity involved in financing terrorism. What is significant is that all societies and institutions that have a potential to act as conduits for such financing shall be obliged to establish bank accounts and maintain information about their employees and clients failing which they will face fine and revocation of their licences.

This amendment comes shortly after the signing of the Additional Protocol to the Saarc Regional Convention on Combating Terrorism. The protocol specifically deals with the issue of financing. Funding terrorism through conduits has been taken up time and again but with varying degrees of success.

A study by the Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy disclosed that five years ago, Pakistanis donated a sum of over Rs 70 billion towards various causes. A large portion of that money was believed to have gone to religious organizations. The trend of giving money to religious organizations, for building mosques or running madrassas, has not changed in the past few years.

Some of this money has found its way into promoting terrorist activities. The government undoubtedly needs to check this at the earliest, but what has also to be understood is that not all contributions to religious and charitable organizations end up in the wrong hands. Some organizations provide services that act as a social safety net. Curtailing the work of these organizations will only add to human suffering. The challenge is to punish the wrong doers and let the others function unhindered.

-- The DAWN, Karachi