Pakistan

Financial Action Task Force places Pakistan’s name in the grey list

On Wednesday, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) put Pakistan’s name in the grey list, despite the country’s earlier efforts to curb the decision. The announcement was made at a general meeting in Paris.

The Pakistani delegation had made aware the efforts of Islamabad on decreasing money laundering and terror financing. However, the watchdog said it had failed in curbing terror financing. Once one’s name is put in the grey list, it means that the country is lacking in averting terror financing and money laundering. Being placed in the grey list also means that the country will be under the direct supervision of the FATF.

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FATF had held its first meeting in Pakistan in February consisting of 37 nations in which China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had gone against US’s decision to put Pakistan on the watchlist. However, Washington had convinced Riyadh for placing the country under the paw of the watchdog.

The Foreign Office gave confirmation in February on reports that Pakistan would be placed in FATF’s grey list in June if it did not attempt to curb money laundering and terror financing.

“Pakistan will be assigned to the ‘grey list’ in June, once an action plan has been mutually negotiated,” Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal had said.

Earlier, a motion had been tabled with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) by the United States and the its allies to place Pakistan on the watch list of countries which were considered ‘non-compliant with global anti-terror financing measures’, said an exclusive report of the Reuters.

The de facto finance minister of the country, Miftah Ismail told Reuters that UK and US had nominated Pakistan to be put on the FATF’s ‘grey list’.

“We are now working with the US, UK, Germany and France for the nomination to be withdrawn,” Ismail, who is the adviser to the prime minister on finance, revenue and economic affairs, told Reuters. “We are also quite hopeful that even if the US did not withdraw the nomination that we will prevail and not be put on the watchlist.”

The motion against Pakistan was adopted at the FATF meeting scheduled to take place in Paris from February 18 to 23.

On Tuesday, Pakistan had ‘quietly’ promulgated an ordinance amending the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, a move which would end the ambiguity over the status of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed.

Saeed is accused by India to be the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

 

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