KUWAIT CITY, May 28 – Indian lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday called for Pakistan to be returned to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, warning that Islamabad could misuse a recent $2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to fund military operations and extremist groups.
Speaking during an interaction with the Indian diaspora in Kuwait, Owaisi, a member of India’s all-party delegation on counter-terrorism outreach, said that increased financial scrutiny was necessary to ensure accountability in Pakistan’s handling of international aid.
“Pakistan must be brought back to the FATF grey list. The importance of that listing is that it triggers tighter scrutiny over money transactions, which can expose links to terror financing,” said Owaisi, who represents the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in Parliament.
The Indian delegation, led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Baijayant Panda, is visiting Kuwait as part of a broader diplomatic initiative aimed at strengthening international cooperation against terrorism. The group includes MPs from across the political spectrum, including Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Satnam Singh Sandhu, and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Senior diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla is also accompanying the delegation.
The outreach effort follows the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in India’s Jammu and Kashmir region. Indian officials are seeking to brief foreign counterparts in the Gulf and North Africa, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Algeria, on the country’s zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism and ongoing security challenges.
Owaisi accused Pakistan of continuing to channel funds to terrorist organisations through hawala networks and money laundering operations in the Middle East. He also rejected Islamabad’s attempts to raise religious issues in its criticism of India.
“Pakistan can’t play the religion card. India has a larger Muslim population, and we Indian Muslims are more sincere than them,” Owaisi said.
Ghulam Nabi Azad echoed concerns about Pakistan’s information campaigns, stating that the country had a long-standing record of spreading misinformation. Panda reiterated India’s resolve to act firmly against cross-border terrorism, declaring that the country “will no longer remain silent” in the face of attacks.
The Indian government’s diplomatic campaign seeks to rally global support for stricter monitoring of Pakistan’s financial practices and push back against narratives seen as sympathetic to extremist groups operating in South Asia.
