Paris: The FATF (Financial Action Task Force) plenary which started Monday is examining Pakistan’s compliance - or lack thereof - with the remaining six items in its 27-point action plan meant to check terror-financing. While Pakistan is expected to remain on the grey list, it’s hoping the Paris-based terror watchdog will allow an onsite evaluation which it can use to convince the member states it has done enough to get its name struck off the grey or Increased Monitoring list.
One of the six terror-financing issues Pakistan was yet to address when the FATF met in October last year related to lack of action against UNSC proscribed terrorists like Masood Azhar. India believes Pakistan has continued to provide safe havens to these terrorists.
FATF had retained Pakistan in the grey list in October, despite acknowledging “significant progress” made by Islamabad in addressing 21 other points. It had asked Pakistan to address its “strategic deficiencies” by demonstrating effective implementation of targeted financial sanctions against all UN 1267 and 1373 designated terrorists and those acting for or on their behalf.
It’s unlikely that FATF will downgrade Pakistan to the blacklist as it enjoys support of China, Malaysia and Turkey. However, many other member states are still trying to ascertain if Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies are identifying and investigating terror-financing activities and if investigations and prosecutions are targeting designated persons and entities.
“Background discussions with key officials and foreign diplomats suggest that the jury is divided - with the authorities claiming sufficient progress to be confident of a positive outcome but some diplomats suggesting that even in the best case scenario Pakistan would remain in the increased monitoring list (grey list) until June,” reported Dawn quoting officials. Pakistan media had also reported last week that some European countries, including France, had recommended to the FATF that Pakistan remain on the grey list as not all points had been fully addressed by Islamabad.
