NACTA and UNODC organized workshops on CFT Legal Framework and Targeted Financial Sanctions for Investigators and Prosecutors at Karachi

29-30 September 2020, Karachi – NACTA in collaboration with UNODC hosted Workshops on CFT Legal Framework, Targeted Financial Sanctions and SHERLOC for Investigators and Prosecutors at Karachi. These workshops were held under the framework of Pakistan’s Action to Counter Terrorism (PACT) Sindh and were made possible with support from the European Union.

The first workshop was dedicated to the female anti-terrorism prosecutors of the province of Sindh. Mr. Mohammad Iqbal, Director General (CFT) NACTA in his opening remarks acknowledged the role of UNODC and EU in building the capacity of investigators, prosecutors and judiciary on countering financing of terrorism. Mr. Kamran Taj, Director (CT) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also highlighted the importance of such workshops to combat the financing of terrorism. Dr. Jeremy Milsom, UNODC Country Representative, mentioned the importance of gender equality and commented that UNODC is pleased to be providing an equal opportunity to women prosecutors who are playing a pivotal role in countering terrorism in Sindh. Mr. Francois Zablot from the European Union highlighted upon EU’s ongoing support to the Government of Pakistan in strengthening their response to countering terrorism and its financing. The participants for the second workshop were investigators from to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Sindh Police.

The first half of both workshops focused on Pakistan’s national legal and institutional framework for countering the financing of terrorism while Pakistan’s international obligations under various UNSC resolutions were presented along with an overview of current and emerging terrorist financing threats faced internationally followed by United Nations’s response in assisting Member States. The second half consisted of detailed presentations on Targeted Financial Sanctions (TFS) in addition to recent legislative amendments in Pakistan followed by an overview of UNODC’s global knowledge tool – SHERLOC.

The presentations delivered by Director General, Counter Terrorism Financing Mr. Mohammad Iqbal from NACTA and Director CT Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Kamran Taj highlighted the legislative framework of CFT in the Anti-terrorism Act, the recent amendments to foster the CFT regime and Targeted Financial Sanctions (TFS) on asset-freezing and financially prohibitive measures against terrorism adopted under the United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs), and the mechanism of monitoring TFS.

Sharing Electronic Resources and Laws on Crime (SHERLOC) is a UNODC web-based portal to facilitate the dissemination of information regarding the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the three Protocols thereto and the international legal framework against terrorism. This knowledge management portal of legal information on organized crime and terrorism created by UNODC aims to raise awareness and serve as a practitioner’s tool to be used by police, prosecutors and judges in the fight against terrorism. An introduction to SHERLOC and linkages between organized crime and terrorism was followed by practical demonstration of portal for the participants.

These workshops were a successful blend of virtual and in-person presentations and were attended by 22 participants on each day.