The Senate has approved amendment bill for Anti-Terrorism Act 2020 on Thursday (today).
According to details the Senate, on Thursday, passed he Anti-Terrorism Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in a bid to get out of Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) ‘grey list’.
During the session chaired by Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, the upper house also passed United Nations Security Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
The development comes as earlier, both United Nations Security Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020 were passed by the lower house i.e. National Assembly on Wednesday.
Pakistan was included in FATF’s grey list back in June last year, and has been handed over a 27-point action plan to avoid being blacklisted by the watchdog.
The two bills are intended to address administrative and security loopholes in Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 which was unable to implement United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRS) 1267 and 1373 under Article 41 of Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
Both United Nations Security Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2020 will further improve Pakistan’s ability to ensure effective freezing and seizure of assets, travel ban, and arms embargo on people and organizations sanctioned as terrorists by UN.
