WASHINGTON: China and some other allies are secretly working to get Pakistan off gray Financial Action Task Force (FATF) list during agency work next plenary session, diplomatic sources told Dawn.
FATF, global body who follows money laundering and financing of terrorism, a four-day event is held – June 14-17 – session in Berlin, Germany, from Tuesday.
FATF delegates representing 206 members of in global network and his observers will attend the meeting. Observers include the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United Nations, the World Bank and the Egmont Group. of Financial Intelligence Units.
Recent Reports in in international media also mentioned this “quiet lobbying” led by China, and one Indian media publication reported that at the plenary session session “probably will decide move Pakistan out from list of countries under increased surveillance, commonly known as his gray list”.
Diplomatic sources in Washington says supporters move argue that the removal of Pakistan from gray list “It is necessary to revive the Pakistani economy”. Pakistan was on in list since June 2018.
Sources say that the decision of the anti-terrorist court of April 9 in Lahore may also help Pakistan in removal of this stigma. The court sent Lashkar-e-Tayyab leader Hafiz Saeed to prison for 33 years on terrorism charges.
Those who support in move remove pakistan from listdot out that the two cases that led to his imprisonment were initiated by the Pakistan Counter Terrorism Agency.
In his last plenary session in Paris in In March, the FATF noted that “Pakistan has completed 26 of act 27 items in its action plan for 2018. The FATF urged Pakistan to “decide how soon as possible, one left item– investigation of terrorist financing and targeting” senior leaders and commanders of Terrorist groups listed by the UN.
The FATF recognized that Pakistan also met 6 of act 7 plans he was asked follow in June 2021 to resist money laundering.
Ministry of foreign affairs also prepared a presentation for plenary meeting of the FATF, which how Pakistan completed all 27 tasks that it was given. Minister of State for Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar is likely to attend the plenary session.
May 22 and 23 Minister for Commerce Syed Navid Kamar visited Brussels and briefed several members of European Parliament (MPs) and European Commission on Pakistan’s efforts to get off grey list.
During the four-day plenary session, delegates will finalize key issues, including a report to prevent money laundering through real property sector. Another report will call financial institutions for use collaborative analytics, data collection and other exchange initiatives for assessment and mitigation money laundering and terrorist financing risks they face.
delegates will also discuss estimates of measures to combat money laundering and financing of terrorism by certain jurisdictions identified as representing risk to financial system.
results of plenary session session will be published on June 17.
Published in Dawn, June 14, 2022
