Washington analyst Siddhant Kishore, writing in ‘The Cipher Brief,’ predicts Pakistan’s charm offensive at the upcoming February 2026 FATF sessions in Mexico City. Expect polished presentations on legislative tweaks and compliance stats, all while real-world violence simmers in South Asia.

‘Terror networks aren’t vanishing; they’re upgrading,’ Kishore notes. Drawing from public reports and financial intel, he exposes how UN-listed JeM and LeT have pivoted to digital innovation. Gaza’s humanitarian woes provide perfect cover for fundraising via relief scams and mosque rebuilds.

Key figures like Hammad Azhar (son of JeM’s Masood Azhar) and Talha al-Saif orchestrate this through digital wallets. Small donations and crypto flow in, laundered via chain-hopping across platforms to stay anonymous.

These resources rebuild terror hubs, notably over 300 mosques and sites hit during India’s 2025 Operation Sindoor, long suspected as LeT camps. It’s a cycle of destruction and regeneration fueled by unchecked flows.

Kishore calls on Western powers to demand accountability at Mexico: prioritize tangible outcomes like asset freezes and network disruptions over mere paperwork. As terror tactics digitize, FATF must evolve or risk irrelevance in curbing Pakistan-linked threats.

Pakistan’s state agencies identified gaps in FATF oversight post their last grey-listing. Terror groups responded by innovating: ditching traditional banking for digital wallets and crypto to obscure trails.

The Geopolitico report from Athens exposes how Gaza relief drives are a front. Masood Azhar’s relatives, including son Hammad Azhar and brother Talha al-Saif, spearhead collections via online platforms, citing mosque reconstructions and religious aid.

Since the Hamas attacks of October 2023 sparked the current war, these efforts have intensified. Diaspora communities in the Middle East and West are key, with phony charities diverting cash to Jammu-Kashmir militancy and past horrors like Mumbai 2008.

Experts call this a sophisticated pivot in terror financing. Digital tools make tracking harder, demanding urgent global action. Pakistan must be held accountable to prevent these groups from regaining strength and launching fresh assaults.