Pakistan slams report of FATF putting it on terror financing watchlist

Planning and development minister Ahsan Iqbal slammed the report and said an official confirmation was awaited. The minister also thanked Turkey for opposing the US-led move against Pakistan.

Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal. (Photo: Twitter/@pid_gov)

Reacting to reports that global money-laundering watchdog has placed Pakistan back on its terrorist financing watchlist, the Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) on Friday expressed serious concerns over Financial Action Task Force’s decision to place the country on the “greylist”.

Pakistan FO spokesperson Mohammad Faisal, as reported by Dunya News, said, “Pakistan has serious concerns over and objections to the introduction of this new “nomination” procedure which is unprecedented and in clear violation of established rules/practices of FATF. Most of the concerns raised by the US side regarding deficiencies in our CFT/AML regime had already been addressed in 2015 when Pakistan got an exit from the “grey list”.”

US took several unilateral steps in recent months which have actually impacted the relationship. It is for the US to rebuild the trust. Pakistan has serious concerns over the motion moved by US and UK at the Financial Action Task Force to put the country on the grey list.
~FO pic.twitter.com/RJrK5IOrsI

— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) February 23, 2018

“Once things get clearer, we will be able to comment on Pak-US relations in this context,” Faisal said on US-Pakistan relations, as quoted by The Express Tribune.

Meanwhile, Planning and development minister Ahsan Iqbal slammed the report and said an official confirmation was awaited. Taking to Twitter, Iqbal said, “No official intimation of #FATF decision yet. We should not speculate till official statement is released.”

No official intimation of #FATF decision yet. We should not speculate till official statement is released.

— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) February 23, 2018

The minister also thanked Turkey for opposing the US-led move against Pakistan.

Thank you Turkey for standing with Pakistan against all odds & proving that we are one. We are proud to have a brother like you.

— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) February 23, 2018

Earlier in the week China, Turkey, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) had opposed the decision. But by Thursday night, both China and the GCC dropped their opposition, a non-Indian diplomatic source from one of the FATF countries said.

Read | Global watchdog puts Pakistan back on terrorist financing watchlist: Reports

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