India is planning to drag Canada to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for its inaction over Khalistani extremism and terror funding. As per Indian officials, despite having New Delhi having shared credible and clinching evidence with Ottawa, the latter has failed to rein in terror funding operations on its soil.
As per media reports, India might share a dossier of the old and new evidence with the FATF, the Paris watchdog responsible for legal, regulatory, and operational measures to combat money laundering and terror financing.
According to a newspaper agency, “Canada acquiescing to the Indian demands to reduce its diplomatic strength by 41 is not as enough as India’s key concern is about funding and shielding of Khalistani extremists on Canadian soil.”
The Core Issue
According to Indian officials, Canada has been trying to divert the attention of the global community from the core issue of terror funding by accusing India of flouting international norms. “The core issue in India ‘s relationship with Canada is the safe space that terrorists and criminal elements have secured in the country,” the official said.
India has no other option but to report to the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau inaction against the pro-Khalistani elements in his country to the FATF another official aware of the developments was quoted as saying by the newspaper agency.
Trudeau’s Inaction over Terror
As per a former director of India’s prime anti-terror agency National Investigation Agency (NIA), India has on several occasions shared multiple evidence based with inputs with Ottawa against Khalistani elements, but all efforts turned futile as the Trudeau government took no action against the extremist entity.
According to officials in New Delhi, Ottawa has never helped India whenever it tried to get any militant or proven criminal deported or extradited. This is also another fact that needs to be shared with the FATF.
India’s Stance
India wants the Canadian government not to provide safe haven to terrorists and take action against those who are facing terrorism charges or send them here to face charges. “India would mount pressure on FATF to be tough on Canada in the background of all these details,” a source said.
Remarks of Subramaniam Jaishankar
Last week, Indian foreign minister Subramaniam Jaishankar made clear that the country had problems with certain segments of Canadian Politics. He also warned that more stuff will come out against Canada in the future from India which will help people understand why we had the kind of discomfort with many of them referring to diplomats. His statement follows Canadas action of pulling out 41 diplomats from India.
The NIA on September 20, 2023 revealed details of 43 people associated with a terror-gangster network having links to Canada, amid strained diplomatic ties between the two countries. Now Canada will be asked to take action against them if any of them are present on its soil, said officials here.
About FATF
The FATF is the global money laundering agency and terrorist financing watchdog whose main objective is to examine and develop measures to combat money laundering. It was launched in 1989 out of a G-7 meeting in Paris, France. India became a full member in the year 2010. It meets three times a year.
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