Joint Investigator-Prosecutor Workshops on Countering Terrorism Financing

In January 2019, the UNODC Country Office Pakistan, in collaboration with the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), organized two Joint Investigator-Prosecutor Workshops in Lahore and Karachi on countering the financing of terrorism. The workshops were comprised of concerned officers from federal and provincial law enforcement agencies including Counter Terrorism Departments (CTDs),  the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), Provincial Prosecution Departments, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The first workshop in Lahore (21-22 January) commenced with opening remarks by Mr. Philip Divett, Programme Officer Terrorism Prevention Branch, UNODC Vienna, as he briefly explained the objectives of the workshop.

After a formal introduction of the participants, Mr. Divett gave a presentation on emerging terrorist financing threats, sources, and typologies. Subsequently he highlighted the challenges and approaches for financial investigation units, investigators, regulators, and the private sector. The presentation was followed with a speech by Mr. Muhammad Iqbal, Director General NACTA, on Pakistan's national legal and institutional framework for countering the financing of terrorism, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1267 and 1373. Later Mr. Divett briefed the participants on the United Nations framework and conventions for preventing terrorism financing, in addition to the FATF Standards. The day concluded with a presentation by Mr. Alan Perkins, Vice President Western Union  Law Enforcement Outreach and Investigations Section, on challenges and opportunities for the private sector in working closely with LEAs in detecting and countering the risks posed by terrorism financing.

The second day started with a presentation by Mr. Khurram Rana, FIA, who presented case preparation guidelines in terrorism financing cases to the participants, and a case study on Suspicious Transaction Reports (STR); after which there was a group exercise on terrorist financing investigations and prosecutions, in which participants were divided into groups to consider and analyze a scenario-based exercise. During the last session representatives from each group presented a short summary of their groups' analyses and observations.

The second workshop in Karachi (24-25 January) proceeded along the same format as the first one in Lahore. On behalf of NACTA Mr. Nadeem Shirazi presented Pakistan's legal framework, and policy on financial investigations related to countering the financing of terrorism.  

At the conclusion of each workshop, the participants were awarded certificates; and expressed their appreciation to NACTA, UNODC, and the Government of Japan for their valuable contribution in enhancing the skills and knowledge of investigators and prosecutors.