WASHINGTON – Pakistan is not complying with the UN Security Councilresolutions on sanctions against terrorists, the US has said amid reportsthat it is spearheading an effort along with India to get Islamabadincluded in an international terrorist-financing watch list.
The remarks by a State Department official came ahead of a crucialFinancial Action Task Force(FATF) meeting in Paris from February 18 to 23.
“The US has consistently expressed our long-standing concern about ongoingdeficiencies in Pakistan’s implementation of its anti-moneylaundering/counterterrorism finance (AML/CFT) regime,” a State Departmentspokesperson said.
“In addition to broader systemic concerns, this also includes Pakistan’snon-compliance with its commitments under UN Security Council Resolution1267,” the spokesperson said.
This is probably for the first time that the US has come out in publicaccusing Pakistan of not complying with the resolutions of the UN SecurityCouncil.
The UN Security Council resolution asks member countries to freeze theassets of, prevent the entry into or transit through their territories by,and prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale and transfer of arms andmilitary equipment to any individual or entity associated with al-Qaida,Osama bin Laden and/or the Taliban as designated by the Committee.
The US official was responding to questions on a statement by a topPakistani official that Trump Administration has approached the FATF toplace it on a grey list.
The US and India are spearheading an effort to get Pakistan included in thewatchdog’s international money-laundering and terror-financing ‘grey list’,reports from Pakistan said.
“The February Plenary of the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force(FATF) will be determining appropriate next steps regarding Pakistan,” thespokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that the FATF discussions were confidential and therewould not be any publicly released information until any decision over theissue.
“Confidentiality of the FATF internal deliberations and documents are veryimportant and core to the deliberative process,” the spokesperson said.