*ISLAMABAD* – Pakistan is reportedly facing difficulties in convincing theFATF team over the action plan.
The Ministry of Finance, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), NationalCounter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) do nothave an international legal expert related to money laundering. “To dealwith the experts of Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering, we need similarexperts. Unfortunately the country has not hired anyone so far to satisfythe visiting team of FATF,” the sources informed *Pakistan Today*.
“Though SBP is trying to satisfy the team as per the measures taken againstmoney laundering, the NACTA, FIA and others are reportedly facingdifficulties in satisfying the visiting foreign experts. Instead of legalconsultants, the Minister of Finance is dealing with the FATF team,” saidthe sources adding that unfortunately, the team of Asia Pacific Group isvisiting Pakistan at a time when the country is undergoing a democratictransition of governments and the caretaker setup is not interested infacing such responsibilities.
An insider claimed that the visiting team has termed various replies ofdifferent institutions unsatisfactory terming them similar to what weregiven to it in 2014-15.
According to sources, the visiting team is scheduled to visit Karachi onThursday. After completing its visit, it will be submitting the report toFATF. A similar team, according to sources, may visit Pakistan in March2019 and FATF will decide about Pakistan’s inclusion in blacklist by June2019. The delegations would stay in Pakistan till August 17 as the ongoingreview would be accomplished on August 16, and then they would return backnext day.
When contacted, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Finance said that anindependent body – the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) was presentlydealing with the visiting team of Asia Pacific Group. Though the FMU is anindependent body, however, the ministry is supervising its affairs. Thevisiting team was yet to meet caretaker Finance Minister Dr ShamshadAkhtar, he said.