New Delhi, June 16 (UNI) The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing, has expressed ‘grave concern” at and condemned the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and said this one and other recent attacks could not occur without money and the means to move funds between terrorist supporters.
‘Terrorist attacks kill, maim and inspire fear around the world. The FATF notes with grave concern and condemns the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. This, and other recent attacks, could not occur without money and the means to move funds between terrorist supporters,’ the FATF said in a report ‘Strengthening efforts to combat terrorist financing’.
It said that as terrorism continues to threaten societies and citizens around the world, the FATF supports over 200 jurisdictions within its Global Network to build and enhance their counter-financing of terrorism (CFT) measures including through the strategic use of financial intelligence-–making this one of the most powerful instruments for dismantling terrorist financing networks.
In addition to setting out the framework for combating terrorist financing, the FATF has enhanced its focus on the effectiveness of measures countries have put in place. ‘That is how, through our mutual evaluations, we have identified gaps that need to be addressed.’
The FATF has developed guidance on terrorist financing risk to support experts that contribute to evaluations of the 200+ jurisdictions in the Global Network.
The FATF has been working for 10 years to help countries stay ahead of terrorist financing risk-–for example relating to abuse of social media, crowd funding, and virtual assets.
To improve this picture, the FATF will soon release a comprehensive analysis of terrorist financing, compiling cases provided by its Global Network. It will also host a webinar to help public and private sectors understand the risks and stay alert to emerging threats, it said.
The FATF observation and condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack is significant as it comes after India’s diplomatic blitz post Operation Sindoor to highlight the dangers of cross-border terrorism and expose the terror financing networks. Pakistan was put on the FATF’s Grey List in 2022 for not doing enough to tackle terrorism financing.
As highlighted by the FATF President at the recent No Money for Terror Conference in Munich, “No single company, authority, or country can combat this challenge alone.’
‘We must be unified against the scourge of global terrorism. Because terrorists need to succeed only once to achieve their goal, while we have to succeed every time to prevent it,” the FATF President said.
