How Pakistan is 'rebranding' terrorists
The coronavirus pandemic seems to be tailored to Pakistani instincts. It is silent, discreet and knows no borders.
As it quietly spreads to new territories, Pakistan, too is quietly upto something. Pakistan is rebranding terrorists.
At least four thousand of them have "quietly" been removed from its watchlist. It also apparently includes one of the masterminds of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
A terror watchlist is maintained to help financial institutions. It helps them to avoid doing business with or process transactions to designated terrorists and terrorist organizations.
There are many in Pakistan in 2018, the list included 7,600 names but given the developments soon there will be none.
Thousands of terrorists will "officially" be free men in Pakistan including Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi - the leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The country is changing names of individuals in its official data, incorporating IDs that do not match and Pakistan is putting out reports that these terrorists are either missing or deceased.