NEW DELHI: A total of 124 Pakistanis are in various Indian jails for their involvement in terror activities and three of them, including the 26\11 Mumbai terror attack LeT gunman Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, have been sentenced to death.Informing the Rajya Sabha, MoS for home affairs Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said the repatriation of Pakistani nationals was covered under the Protocol on Consular Access and whenever they, including those considered terrorists, were arrested for their involvement in any anti-India activity, the Pakistan government was officially intimated about their arrest through diplomatic channel.
The Indian government then arranges for provision of Consular Access to these Pakistani nationals and this arrangement is made in the central jails. "Once the Pakistani government confirms the nationality of these nationals, they are repatriated to Pakistan after completion of their sentences under Indian judicial process," Singh said.In response to another question, the government said NGOs based in foreign countries, particularly those which provide a safe haven to terrorists acting against India, were considered a potential source of terrorist funding."As per the available inputs, from a terrorist financing risk perspective, foreign organizations and trusts, particularly those based in countries which provide a safe haven to terrorists acting against India are considered a potential source of terrorist funding," Singh said in his written response.A number of foreign charitable trusts and NGOs have been identified by the United Nations for their alleged role in financing of terrorist organizations."No such organizations or their front organizations are given permission to receive foreign contribution under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010," Singh said adding existing statutory and legal structure provides adequate provisions to deal with such outfits.To further strengthen the existing enforcement structure, the minister said, the National Investigation Agency Act was passed in 2008 and NIA started functioning in 2009 with a specific mandate to deal with all activities criminalised under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, including terrorist funding."NIA has created a dedicated cell, Terror Funding and Fake Currency Cell for countering the menace. Up till date, NIA has reported freezing/seizure of 18 properties/ accounts on suspicion of being funds/ properties intended to be used for terrorism or being proceeds of terrorism," he said.
The Indian government then arranges for provision of Consular Access to these Pakistani nationals and this arrangement is made in the central jails. "Once the Pakistani government confirms the nationality of these nationals, they are repatriated to Pakistan after completion of their sentences under Indian judicial process," Singh said.In response to another question, the government said NGOs based in foreign countries, particularly those which provide a safe haven to terrorists acting against India, were considered a potential source of terrorist funding."As per the available inputs, from a terrorist financing risk perspective, foreign organizations and trusts, particularly those based in countries which provide a safe haven to terrorists acting against India are considered a potential source of terrorist funding," Singh said in his written response.A number of foreign charitable trusts and NGOs have been identified by the United Nations for their alleged role in financing of terrorist organizations."No such organizations or their front organizations are given permission to receive foreign contribution under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010," Singh said adding existing statutory and legal structure provides adequate provisions to deal with such outfits.To further strengthen the existing enforcement structure, the minister said, the National Investigation Agency Act was passed in 2008 and NIA started functioning in 2009 with a specific mandate to deal with all activities criminalised under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, including terrorist funding."NIA has created a dedicated cell, Terror Funding and Fake Currency Cell for countering the menace. Up till date, NIA has reported freezing/seizure of 18 properties/ accounts on suspicion of being funds/ properties intended to be used for terrorism or being proceeds of terrorism," he said.