Says all technical requirements of world body completed
ISLAMABAD
Foreign Office has said that Pakistan has faithfully complied with and completed all technical requirements of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), hoping the world body will also take decisions in accordance with the technical standards.
At his weekly news briefing on Friday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said that there are issues of politicisation in the FATF by some countries wherein technical requirements are set aside and political considerations take the forefront. He, however, said Pakistan is a strong and important country and it knows to defend its interests.
The FO spokesman’s remarks came as Indian media has started a malicious campaign against Pakistan, saying that Pakistan is likely to slip into the ‘black list’ of the global anti-terrorist financing and anti-money laundering watchdog for non-compliance.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will undertake the next review of Pakistan’s progress in curbing terror-financing and money laundering when the plenary begins on February 21 in Paris, France. Pakistan has been on the Paris-based FATF’s grey list for deficiencies in its counter-terror financing and anti-money laundering regimes since June 2018. This greylisting has adversely impacted Pakistan’s imports, exports and remittances, and limited access to international lending.
In October 2021, FATF retained Pakistan on its grey list for non-compliance in one critical parameter out of the 27-point action plan that the country had committed to. Additionally, the new action plan with six items had been drawn up to address the deficiencies noted in Pakistan’s 2019 APG Mutual Evaluation report.
In a briefing, FATF President Marcus Pleyer said that Pakistan has “addressed or largely addressed” 30 of the 34 items of the FATF action plan to curb money laundering and terror financing.
Pakistan is hopeful that it would get off the list. Finance Minister Senator Shaukat Tarin on Friday last said that it is an “injustice” that Pakistan was not removed from the grey list of the FATF despite implementing its 27 points.
“Any country who has implemented 27 points is removed from the FATF’s grey list but it is an injustice that the same precedent is not being followed in our case,” Shaukat Tarin said. The finance minister, however, said that Pakistan would soon be removed from the grey list.
Meanwhile, Asim Iftikhar responding to a question on Friday, said that Pakistan has faced and confronted the menace of terrorism with a lot of courage and success. He said India has a track record of supporting terrorism in Pakistan. “We are aware of the threat and we will take all necessary steps to halt it,” he added.
The spokesperson said formal invites have been issued to all the OIC member countries to attend the 48th session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting to be held in Islamabad on 22nd and 23rd March.
Asim Iftikhar said Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to visit Russia next week.
Regarding the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the spokesperson hoped that continued engagement will lead to a diplomatic solution, saying it is the right way to go.
