Pak promulgates law to implement UN sanctions against individuals\, groups

Pak promulgates law to implement UN sanctions against individuals, groups

Press Trust of India  |  Islamabad 

Monday promulgated a law to streamline the procedure for the implementation of the UN sanctions against individuals and organisations, amid mounting pressure from the global community to rein in the terror groups operating on its soil and curb their financing.

handed over a dossier to to take action against the JeM, as pressure mounted on to take action against individual and organisation listed by the as terrorists.

In a statement, the Monday said that the government issued the (Freezing and Seizure) Order, 2019 in accordance with the provisions of Pakistan's (UNSC) Act, 1948.

"The objective of the UNSC (Freezing and Seizure) Order 2019 is to streamline the procedure for implementation of Security Council Sanctions against designated individuals and entities," it said.

On Sunday, said the government has taken action against the proscribed organisations including in the past and any future action against them will be taken in the light of the Plan (NAP) and Pakistan's commitments in connection with the (FATF).

However, a top government source said that the government has decided to launch a crackdown on terror outfits, including (JeM) Masood Azhar, in order to de-escalate tensions with

The said the action against is "expected any time soon".

Dawn newspaper also reported on Monday that "a decisive crackdown on extremist and militant organisations in the country looks imminent".

The new law is expected to help to fulfill its obligations towards the UNSC by expediting of properties of banned groups and individuals.

The last month asked Pakistan to "freeze without delay" the funds and other financial assets of the UNSC-designated and their leaders.

Pakistan is also under pressure from the Paris-based (FATF) to deliver on its commitments to curb terror financing.

The FATF in June last year placed Pakistan onto its watch list in a bid to push the country to halt support for militant groups.

In June 2018, Pakistan made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and APG to strengthen its AML/CFT regime and to address its strategic counter-terrorism financing-related deficiencies by implementing a 10-point action plan to accomplish these objectives.

The successful implementation of the action plan and its physical verification by the APG will lead the FATF to clear Pakistan out of its grey list or else move into the black list by September 2019.

In its statement, the said that it may be recalled that the Chapter VII of the Charter authorises the (UNSC), acting under Article 41, to decide measures, not involving the use of armed force, to give effect to its decisions for the maintenance of international peace and security.

In Pakistan, such decisions of the Security Council are implemented through the Act (UNSC), 1948, it said.

The FO said over the years the sanctions regime of the Security Council have evolved.

"A key measure of these sanctions regimes is 'assets freeze' under which States are required to freeze/seize the assets of designated entities and individuals as soon as they are designated by the relevant UNSC Sanctions Committee," it said.

The UN Security Council (Freezing and Seizure) Order, 2019 has been formulated in line with UNSC and the FATF standards, according to FO.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Mon, March 04 2019. 20:40 IST