India pushes FATF to grey-list Pakistan over Gandapur’s Taliban remarks

ISLAMABAD: The Indian government has presented Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s recent remarks to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as part of its case against Pakistan, officials from the global watchdog said on Thursday.

According to the FATF officials, New Delhi has presented the statement as formal proof in support of its stance that Islamabad provides support to terrorist elements, Geo News reported.

The Indian submission specifically references Gandapur’s recent comment in which he said: "We arrest the Taliban, but our own institutions get them released, claiming they are their people."

The remarks, which drew criticism at home, are now being used by India to request Pakistan’s re-listing on the FATF’s “increased monitoring” list, commonly known as the grey list.

Indian authorities have argued that this public admission by a provincial chief minister shows that Pakistan’s institutions continue to aid and protect terrorist elements.

The FATF officials said India framed the statement as a formal “charge sheet” against Pakistan, particularly highlighting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a region gravely affected by terrorism and militancy.

Pakistan was taken off the FATF grey list in 2022, giving it a clean bill of health on terrorist financing and boosting its reputation among lenders — essential for Pakistan's crisis-hit economy.

The FATF's grey list — in which Pakistan was placed from 2018-2022 —places a country under increased monitoring until it has rectified identified flaws in its financial system.