Pakistan cautions FATF against Indian designs

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday sent a crystal clear message to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) that its earlier warnings of India trying to politicise the ongoing proceedings of the Task Force needed to be taken seriously, as attempts were once again being made by the Modi government.

“The Government of Pakistan expresses its deep concern over the statement made by the Indian finance minister yesterday about India’s intention to have ‘Pakistan downgraded on the FATF list’.

The statement re-confirms Pakistan’s longstanding concerns that this technical forum is being politicised by India against Pakistan,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Sheikh reached out to the FATF president and sought his attention to continued Indian attempts to politicise the ongoing process.

Pakistan has also raised the issue of ongoing Indian attempts to politicise the FATF proceedings against it, and clearly its credentials for co-chairing and being a member of the Asia Pacific Joint Group that reviews the progress made by Pakistan to implement the FATF Action Plan.

“India has made several efforts in the past as well to politicise the proceedings at FATF. Prior to the FATF plenary meeting in February 2019, India circulated its own assessment of Pakistan’s progress and solicited immediate support for “blacklisting” Pakistan. On several previous occasions, calculated leaks were made to the Indian media about the FATF proceedings, which are strictly confidential,” said the Foreign Office.

Pakistan says it remains committed to fully implementing the FATF Action Plan. “This commitment has been made at the highest political level. However, the FATF must ensure that the process remains fair, unbiased and firmly grounded in the technical criteria of the forum”, adds the statement.