KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Monday that terrorism and its related activities would come to an end when peace was restored in the entire region on the Eastern and Western fronts, otherwise it would remain simmering.

He also highlighted the need to stop Indian atrocities in held Kashmir and against the Muslims within Indian states in the larger interest of peace in the region.

He was talking to a delegation led by US Consul General Robert Silberstein and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Policy, Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Scott Rem. Other American and Sindh government officials also participated in the meeting.

Recalling that terrorism was simmering in the region because of Indian atrocities in held Kashmir and against Muslims within India, Mr Shah said: “This must be stopped in the larger interest of peace in the entire region.” In Afghanistan the government had a very limited control and writ within the state, therefore conspiracies for terrorist activities were hatched there and then exported to Pakistan, he added.

He said the provincial government had been fighting against terrorism for many years and now it had controlled it considerably.

Terror financing

Talking about terror financing, the CM said that a close coordination between the provincial and federal government agencies had been developed and 19 cases were detected, and of the accused, five had been convicted. He said the provincial government had established a dedicated unit in the home department which dealt with terrorism financing matters. Besides, he said, all charity and donation matters were being regulated under the laws of charity regulation.

The CM said donations or charity to any organisation, including NGOs, was being monitored through banking system, and their utilisation was under watch. “We have almost plugged this loophole through effective laws and constant monitoring,” he added.

The CM told the visiting delegation that the Counter-Terrorism Department of Sindh police had arrested around 500 terrorists during the past three years. Of them a large number of terrorists had been convicted, he added.

The delegation appreciated the efforts of the provincial government and assured technical and other support against terror financing activities.

They also discussed with the chief minister a systematic mechanism of intelligence work, monitoring and choking the financing system.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2019