The Armenian Community in the United States Aims to 'Punish' Pakistan

The largest political organization of the Armenian community in the United States has called on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to demand that Pakistan be included in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklist for anti-money laundering measures. Armenian activists argue that Pakistan funds Islamic mercenaries in Nagorno-Karabakh. This initiative has been brought forward ahead of the FATF plenary session. Participants will assess if Pakistan has taken adequate measures to control the financing of terrorism. The FATF conference will be held in Paris from February 22-25.

The Armenian National Committee of America has stated that mercenaries fighting for Azerbaijan receive finances from Pakistan. The FATF, established in 1989, aims to expose 'dirty money' in the international financial system, is not part of any international organization structure but maintains ties with the UN, the Council of Europe, the World Bank, Interpol, and other international institutions. It includes 37 states and two regional organizations, with Russia becoming a full member of the group in 2003.

Since 2018, Pakistan has been on the FATF grey list. Its objections have been discussed multiple times during meetings, but this has not resulted in the country being placed on the blacklist. According to FreeNews.AM, Pakistani soldiers have played a role in the conflict on Azerbaijan's side. Two intercepted phone conversations between Azerbaijanis confirmed the presence of Pakistani military personnel in the conflict zone.

As reported by Featured News Reports, Turkey has more openly supported Azerbaijan by sending two groups of Syrian rebels totaling around 2,500 fighters. France has defended this assertion, accusing Turkey of sending jihadists from Syria to the conflict zone. Both Turkey and Pakistan have been politically close to Azerbaijan for many years, being the first and second countries to recognize Azerbaijan after it declared independence in 1991.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi reaffirmed Islamabad's traditional position during a phone call with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, stating that Pakistan supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh. If the allegations put forth by the Armenian National Committee of America are confirmed, Pakistan's situation in the FATF will become much more complicated. Its hopes of exiting the grey list will likely not materialize.

In contrast to Pakistan, India has pursued a cautious and neutral policy in the South Caucasus region, maintaining neutrality despite Azerbaijan's support for Pakistan on the historic conflict over Kashmir.

Sergey Lunev, a professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, pointed out in an interview with a correspondent from Nezavisimaya Gazeta that in terms of terrorist activity, Pakistan is one of the main threats to Russia. This state actively supports Islamic militants throughout Asia. The Pakistani government always claims that individual citizens are dedicated to terrorist ideologies while the state condemns terrorism. In principle, one could agree with this, but the reality is that the army is the main political player in Pakistan. The civilian government does not receive any information from the army on sensitive issues. And the army is one of the main sponsors of terrorism, particularly through its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Many reports have been published on this topic. Former President Pervez Musharraf wrote in his memoirs about connections between the military and Islamic terrorist organizations. U.S. officials have also commented on ISI connections with Islamic groups.

It should be noted that it was the Pakistani intelligence that created the Taliban movement and was instrumental in the formation of al-Qaeda during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a fact that the expert emphasized. Al-Qaeda was financed by Saudi Arabia, and its leader, Osama bin Laden, was recruited by the CIA. Subsequently, he, of course, turned against the United States.

The Pakistani army trains militants on its territory, particularly in Kashmir. The connections of its military intelligence extend to Central Asia and even to the Uyghur extremists in China. It is paradoxical, but China does not hamper their activities. Therefore, the Armenian diaspora is rightfully demanding that Pakistan be held accountable for intervening in the war over Nagorno-Karabakh,” Lunev stressed.