ISLAMABAD/PARIS – Islamabad again hopes to be taken off the grey list ofthe global money-laundering watchdog as the Plenary and Working GroupMeetings is set to begin in French capital from today.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson also expressed hope last week asofficials completed all technical requirements and hope that the outcomewould be in the positive direction this time.
This greylisting has adversely impacted the country’s imports, exports,remittances, and limited access to international lending while PrimeMinister Imran Khan has been campaigning for Pakistan’s removal from theFATF’s list since getting into power.
Foreign Office spokesman Asim Iftikhar claimed that only politicalconsiderations of the members of the illicit financing watchdog can hold itback in that category.
The South Asian country was placed on the grey list by the internationalforum in June 2018 and the country has since been making efforts to complywith conditions laid by the money-laundering watchdog.
Last year, FATF official Dr. Marcus Pleyer while announcing the decision atthe culmination of the five-day plenary session said, “Pakistan has madesignificant progress and it has largely addressed 26 out of 27 measures” tocurb money laundering and terror financing.
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The whole matter also made headlines as Indian Minister for ExternalAffairs S Jaishankar admitted that Pakistan is on the grey list due to NewDelhi’s efforts. “Due to us, Pakistan is under the lens of FATF and it waskept in the grey list,” Jaishankar had said while addressing an event.
Reacting to the remarks, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) hit out at Indiaover Jaishankar’s remarks, saying India is playing a negative role at theglobal financial watchdog.
“Pakistan has always been highlighting to the international community thepoliticisation of FATF and undermining of its processes by India,” theforeign office said. “The recent Indian statement is just furthercorroboration of its continued efforts to use an important technical forumfor its narrow political designs against Pakistan.”
