Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, who the BJP has accused of having links with the Inter-Services Intelligence, echoed the Centre’s stance and criticised the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout granted to Pakistan and advocated for a firm push to return the country to the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Speaking to news agency ANI on Friday, Gogoi expressed that the $2.5 billion bailout will be used to rebuild Pakistani military infrastructure. “My fear is the damage the Indian Armed Forces caused to the Pakistani military infrastructure. They will repair this damage using IMF money. We have to ensure that Pakistan does not get any additional funding for its Military-Terrorist-Intelligence nexus.”
Gogoi urged the government to leverage diplomatic ties with key International Monetary Fund stakeholders such as the US, UK, Germany and France, to ensure that Islamabad faces stricter financial scrutiny.
“Despite Prime Minister Modi visiting these countries, they have given Pakistan 2.5 billion US dollars. There needs to be further dialogue… our endeavour must be to put Pakistan back on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force,” Gogoi said.
Gogoi’s statement comes as India has started to send seven multi-party delegations that include 59 MPs and former diplomats to 32 countries to lobby for stronger global action against Pakistan.
India is also preparing to ask FATF to relist Pakistan on its “grey list”, which signals increased monitoring of a country’s efforts to combat terror financing and money laundering, Reuters reported Friday.
Pakistan was taken off the list in 2022, a development that helped it secure loans from institutions like the IMF and the World Bank.
According to a top government source quoted by Reuters, India is also expected to oppose an upcoming World Bank loan to Pakistan.
The IMF bailout, which came a day after the India-Pakistan ceasefire, has defended its decision by stating that Pakistan met all required benchmarks to unlock the funds.
The latest installment reportedly comes with 11 new conditions, including parliamentary approval, a hike in the debt servicing surcharge on electricity bills, and easing of import restrictions, according to multiple reports.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reconsider its $2.1 billion bailout to debt-ridden Pakistan as it allows terrorists to use its soil for launching state-sponsored attacks against Indian citizens.
Gogoi’s statement comes amid personal attacks against him from the BJP, particularly Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has accused the Congress MP of colluding with Pakistan’s spy agency.
Sarma has alleged that Gogoi’s British wife, Elizabeth Colburn, travelled 19 times between India and Pakistan and hinted at a deeper conspiracy.
“Gaurav Gogoi visited Pakistan on an invitation of the ISI. For the first time, I am saying this. We have documents of the same. He did not go for tourism purposes. He went there definitely for training,” Sarma claimed last week, adding that the evidence will be presented before the public by September 10 after proper verification.
The BJP has consistently targeted Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi over alleged links to Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI. The BJP also opposed Gogoi's inclusion in an international delegation representing India's stance on terrorism, citing these alleged connections. Gogoi has denied all allegations, labeling them as baseless and politically motivated, and has challenged the BJP to present concrete evidence immediately.
Gogoi has denied all allegations, labeling them as baseless and politically motivated, and has challenged the BJP to present concrete evidence immediately. He also pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed similar sentiments in 2022 regarding humanitarian aid to Pakistan, questioning the rationale behind the BJP's selective criticism.
