New name, same terror group: LeT becomes TRF for Pakistan to save itself from FATF axe

Srinagar/New Delhi: Keen to show that it is acting on terror groups, Pakistan has done what it has been doing in the past, changing names of terror groups and this time to save itself from the axe of the anti-terror financing group, Financial Action Task Force (FATF). It has emerged that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has been renamed as another terror group, The Resistance Front (TRF).

Intelligence inputs confirmed, in a bid to save itself from FATF rap, Pakistan changed LeT's name to TRF. This comes as Islamabad tries to convince the FATF that it is working on the deadline to fulfill its commitments. The FATF has postponed the deadline for Pakistan among other countries by four months.

The group has been involved in a number of attacks in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. While LeT has been listed by the United Nations (UN) and has been banned globally, the group formed under the new name has no such ban.

"These terrorists are being pushed into Kashmir by the Pakistan Army. When infiltration efforts get countered by the strong counter-infiltration grid of the Indian Army, Pakistan Army resorts to the ceasefire violation. Experiencing these tricks in the past, the Indian Army constructed Anti-Infiltration Obstacle Systems and enhanced its surveillance capabilities, thereby negating the effect of firing in successfully aiding infiltration," said Army sources.

In March, Jammu and Kashmir Police DG confirmed the existence of the group. He had said, "This TRF as the local front of LeT was launched by Pakistan immediately after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and were not armed. They were involved in grenade attacks and OGW actions only. This is the first-ever TRF module of LeT identified and busted by police which was going to be armed very soon."

Amid the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis the FATF, in a release,  said, "The gravity of the COVID-19 situation globally and the consequent COVID-19 related measures that countries have adopted, such as confinement and travel restrictions, are making it impossible for assessed jurisdictions and assessors alike to conduct on-site visits and in-person meetings. FATF has decided on a general pause in the review process for the list of high-risk jurisdictions subject to a call for action and jurisdictions subject to increased monitoring, by granting jurisdictions an additional four months for deadlines. Thus, the FATF is not reviewing them in June."

While FATF has postponed the review of Pakistan's remaining action plan items in view of COVID-19 to September 2020, Islamabad is not off the hook. They still need to take action on the remaining action plan items by September. Pakistan’s 27 point Action Plan deadline had already expired in September 2019.

In February, Islamabad got period till June to act to either --get removed from greylist or get blacklisted. Being on FATF’s grey list has caused a loss of $10 billion to Islamabad and if Islamabad fails to take any concrete action on terror, it might be put on the blacklist.