The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has decided to keep Pakistan under its grey list till next February and instructed Islamabad to take ‘extra measures’ for ‘complete’ elimination of terror financing and money laundering.
The FATF meeting in Paris on Tuesday reviewed the measures that Pakistan has already taken to control money laundering and terror financing. However, the meeting observed that Islamabad will have to take concrete steps in these four months.
The Pakistani authorities were confident that Islamabad could be not blacklisted as China, Malaysia and Turkey assured full support to Pakistan. According to the FATF charter comprising 36 countries, the support of at least three countries is required to not blacklist any country.
So far, even the GCC countries and Saudi Arabia have supported Pakistan. Top official sources told this reporter that the FATF’s ongoing meeting would continue till October 18 [at Paris] during which a final decision would be made.
Some media organizations and experts are jubilant that India could not get Pakistan in the black-list of the FATF. However, Islamabad has admitted that it has failed to completely comply with FATF guidelines and will be placed in the grey-list status (even though the final decision will come on October 18)
A top official said that Indian side might plunge into one-sided propaganda without waiting of the final outcome of the meeting because they have nothing to lose, but in case of Pakistan, the country’s economy would be at serious threat in case of falling into blacklist, so authorities are very careful on making any statements.
