ISLAMABAD – An initial vote in the FATF meet on February 20 on theUS-backed move to list Pakistan was blocked by the Gulf CooperationCouncil, Turkey and China.

However, a celebratory tweet by Pakistan’s foreign minister Khawaja Asifafter this vote led to redoubled efforts by the US and its allies to putIslamabad on the mat, especially since Asif had committed a cardinal errorby exposing the proceedings of the FATF that are meant to be secret, atleast two people said.

American officials pointedly said that Asif’s remarks were premature andthe US began lobbying China and Saudi Arabia, which was controlling theGCC’s vote, along with the UK and Germany.

Saudi Arabia, one of only two G20 nations along with Indonesia which is nota FATF member, was reminded by the Western powers of how its stance on theissue of terror financing could affect its efforts to become a full memberlater this year.

The US then pushed a second vote on February 22, during which Pakistan wasbacked only by Turkey. This was evident from a tweet by Pakistan’s interiorminister Ahsan Iqbal, who posted: “Thank you Turkey for standing withPakistan against all odds & proving that we are one. We are proud to have abrother like you.”

During their lobbying, the US and its allies pointed out that thoughPakistan had created a regime and amended its laws to counter funding andmoney laundering, its actions on the ground were not effective.

Pakistan’s last-minute action of amending its Anti-Terrorism Act to includeUN-designated terror organisations such as JuD and FIF as banned groups ndthe seizure of some JuD seminaries, centres, healthcare facilities anddispensaries did not make much of an impact, the sources said.