“The black market, the informal financial system, porous borders, a permissive security environment, and under-resourced Pakistani law enforcement, investigative, and prosecutorial agencies all contribute to the substantial demand for and facilitation of money laundering and illicit financial services in Pakistan—”—International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR March 2025)

Terrorism, drugs-for-arms and money laundering, intrinsically linked, pose considerable threats to global peace and security besides destabilizing political and financial stability of many nation States. The militancy and fundamentalism has clear nexus with criminal networks involved in drug and arms.

The critics allege that in the aftermath of 9/11, United States and its allies’ military actions against innocent civilians are more than concentrated attacks on the terrorists. All the terrorist networks in the world enjoy close ties with many criminal groups. These militant outfits enjoy free flow of legal and illegal funds and no serious effort has been made until today to attack their financial lifeline.

June 26, 2025 marked the International Day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. The worldwide observance was decided by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987 to raise the level of awareness in the international community about the dangers of drug abuse, to prevent its spread and to encourage all efforts to combat the menace at international level. Each year the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) selects theme for the day and this year the theme is ‘Breaking the Chains: Prevention, Treatment,........

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