'No room to keep Pakistan on grey list': Qureshi claims FATF used for 'political motives'

After the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided to keep Pakistan on its grey-list, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday urged to look into whether the FATF was "being used for political purposes". According to a report by Dawn which quoted the Foreign Minister's interview with Radio Pakistan, Qureshi said that there was 'no room' to keep the country on the grey-list given that it had complied with 26 out of the 27 points that had been proposed in the action plan by the watchdog.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi further claimed that "some powers desire to keep the sword of FATF hanging over Pakistan", saying that it should be determined whether the Financial Action Task Force was a "technical forum or a political one."

Elaborating on Pakistan's progress, Imran Khan's Minister said that actions were being taken by the country 'for its own interests', sharing that significant progress had also been made for the 27th task on the action plan. "It is in our interest to stop money laundering and terror financing," Radio Pakistan quoted him as saying.

Pakistan remains in FATF Grey-list

Refusing to give a clean chit to Pakistan for being a "terror sponsor', the Financial Action Task Force on Friday said that the Imran Khan-led nation would continue to remain on its grey-list till it addresses every single item that it was asked to do in its action plan. Despite the hogwash near terrorist-in-chief Hafiz Saeed's residence in Lahore, Pakistan was unable to play the victim card and was asked by the FATF to address the remaining combating financing terror (CFT)-related items by demonstrating that TF (terror finance) investigations and prosecutions target senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups.

The watchdog noted that Pakistan should address the strategically important AML/CFT deficiencies by following six recommendations and suggested it enhance international cooperation by amending the MLA law. It also asked Pakistan to demonstrate that DNFBPs are being monitored for compliance with proliferation financing requirements and that sanctions are being imposed for non-compliance.

In June 2018, FATF placed Pakistan on the 'grey-list' and asked Islamabad to implement a plan of action to curb money laundering and terror financing by the end of 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this deadline was extended.