The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global anti-terror financing watchdog, has strongly condemned the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists. In a statement issued on Saturday, the FATF underscored the critical role of financial networks in enabling such attacks.
“Terrorist attacks kill, maim and inspire fear around the world. The FATF notes with grave concern and condemns the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. This, and other recent attacks, could not occur without money and the means to move funds between terrorist supporters,” the statement read.
While the FATF did not name any country directly, its remarks arrive amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Indian authorities have linked the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba and its affiliate, The Resistance Front (TRF) and have accused Islamabad of supporting cross-border terrorism.
FATF added that it will enhance efforts to assess the effectiveness of anti-terror financing measures through mutual evaluations and has developed specific guidance to assist countries in identifying and mitigating terror financing risks.
In response to the April 22 attack, Indian officials are reportedly pushing for Pakistan to be returned to the FATF’s “grey list”, a designation that places countries under increased monitoring for their failure to combat terrorist financing.
Pakistan has had a fluctuating history with the grey list. It was first included in 2008, removed in 2010, and re-listed in 2012. After being removed again in 2015, it was placed back on the list in 2018 and remained there until October 2022.
Currently, 24 countries are on FATF’s grey list, which can affect their global financial standing and access to international funds.