Will scrutinise foreign funding without discrimination: Pakistan

Any foreign funding by individuals or organisations to private entities in Pakistan through informal channels, irrespective of the source or country, is being brought under tighter scrutiny in the National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism, media reported.

"The purpose of bringing such funding under tighter scrutiny is to rule out any possibility of financing terrorists or terrorist organisations," said foreign office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam, Dawn reported.

She was responding to a statement issued by the Saudi embassy in Islamabad Monday which denied funding of what it called the extremist mindset through its financial support of religious seminaries in Pakistan.

"A section of the media has been propagating a false impression that Saudi Arabia is funding the extremist mindset in Pakistan through its financial support for religious seminaries," a press statement issued by the Saudi embassy had said.

Aslam said Saudi Arabia had been making important contributions to Pakistan's economic development.

She further said that offers of economic assistance and project-based assistance by Saudi Arabia were processed by the Pakistan foreign ministry in consultation with relevant departments and agencies of the federal government.