Pakistan’s quest for FATF white-listing hits roadblocks as its 2025 terrorist financing report uncovers deep implementation flaws. Legal structures tick boxes, but terror financiers exploit fintech loopholes, outpacing outdated oversight.
Analyst Siddhant Kishore’s ‘Cipher Brief’ piece foresees Pakistan’s diplomatic push at the 2026 Mexico City FATF gatherings, armed with reform rhetoric. Yet, beneath the surface, terror persists via savvy digital pivots.
Open intel reveals JeM and LeT’s upgrade: from bank wires to app-based flows. Gaza aid appeals serve as fronts, with Azhar family members like Hammad and Talha al-Saif collecting via disguised mosque projects.
Crypto micro-transactions and chain-hopping ensure anonymity, channeling cash to terror builds – including 300 mosques and revived sites from India’s Operation Sindoor hits on LeT facilities.
This evolution demands action. FATF delegates, especially from the West, should enforce ‘results-oriented’ scrutiny: sustained probes, asset grabs, and enabler shutdowns. Ignoring the paper-vs-practice chasm risks emboldening these networks further, with global repercussions.