India welcomed Wednesday the US decision to name as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) three Pakistan-based LeT terrorists and their financiers. In a clear message to the likely new Imran Khan-led government, the MEA said the latest designations also called into question “Pakistan’s sincerity in taking effective action against such terrorist elements.”

“The announcement vindicates India’s consistent stand that internationally designated terrorist groups and Individuals, including LeT and its front, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation [FIF], continue to operate from and raise financial resources with impunity in Pakistan, and use territories under its control for carrying out cross-border terrorism in India and elsewhere in south Asia,’’ said MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

While PM Narendra Modi has responded positively to Khan’s peace offer, the government has been at pains to explain that no substantive engagement between the two countries was going to be possible until Pakistan acted sufficiently against terror groups targeting India from its soil.

“The US decision shows Pakistan has failed to check anti-India activities. Any new government in Pakistan will know what it has to do to ensure dialogue with India. The ball is still in Pakistan’s court as far as we are concerned,’’ said an official source.

In his congratulatory phone call to Khan, according to Pakistan media reports, Modi spoke about the possibility of the two countries entering a new era of relations and also evolving a joint strategy to ensure progress in bilateral ties.

While the government seems willing to give Khan a chance, it’s still not sure about the intentions of the Pakistan army. India has provided a seal of approval to Pakistan elections but, as official sources here said, India remains concerned that Khan chose to rake up the issue of alleged human rights violations by Indian forces in his first speech after the election outcome.

LeT commander Abdul Rehman al-Dakhil was named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US state department.

Separately, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action Tuesday to disrupt the LeT's fund-raising and support networks by designating two of the groups financial facilitators, Hameed-ul-Hassan and Abdul Jabbar, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).

Courtesy: Times of India: 2 Aug 2018