Investigating and Prosecuting Foreign Terrorist Fighters under Pakistani Law

The phenomenon of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) became a significant part of the international discourse in 2012, with the inflow of foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria “ISIS” (also known as Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, or Daesh). In response to the threat posed by FTFs, Security Council Resolution 2178 was passed under binding Chapter VII powers, which urged member states to “ensure that their domestic laws and regulations establish serious criminal offences sufficient to provide the ability to prosecute and to penalize in a manner duly reflecting the seriousness of the offense”.

New Money Laundering Threats in the Wake of COVID-19

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world to a halt, it has concomitantly boosted the criminal economy by creating unprecedented circumstances, easily exploitable by a few. This piece aims to highlight the financial vulnerabilities that have been created due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while briefly discussing the potential safeguards against the exploitation of such vulnerabilities, as suggested by FATF—the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.

ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING AND COUNTERING FINANCING OF TERRORISM (AML/CFT) LAWS IN PAKISTAN: AN OVERVIEW

If Pound’s axiomatic first step is taken in understanding laws related to Financial Action Task Force (FATF), it will transpire that many laws have virtually been rewritten; these laws have affected civil, business, corporate, tax, criminal and regulatory regimes in a significant manner. The characteristic feature of FATF-related legislation is that it has linked civil and regulatory laws with criminal laws of the country.

Ghulam Hussain Case And The Application Of Terrorism Charges In Pakistan

The latest judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in case of Ghulam Hussain vs. the State[1] is an attempt to interpret the codified definition of ‘terrorism’ in Pakistan’s anti-terrorism law. Before entering into the legalese of the judgement itself, it is imperative to ask this question: Why should the Supreme Court of Pakistan venture to interpret the definition of ‘terrorism’?