FATF grey list: Govt decides to fulfil remaining conditions till Dec 2

LAHORE: The government authorities have decided to fulfil remaining conditions of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) till Dec 2 to come out of its 'grey list'. About seizure and freezing of all assets and properties of banned outfits Jamatud Dawa (JuD) and Jesh-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Punjab, the FATF has asked Pakistan to get approved the Freezing and Seizure Ordinance, 2019 from the Punjab Assembly and making it an Act, according to sources.

A meeting was held recently at the Punjab Home Department recently, which was participated by Director General Farooq Ahmad from foreign ministry, National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) senior officials, Punjab prosecution secretary, special secretary health and education, secretary colonies, director general social welfare, Board of Revenue officials, senior officials of sensitive agencies and deputy commissioners of various districts in Punjab through video-link.

Sources said the FATF also demanded in its recent meeting that all employees of the educational institutions, hospitals and dispensaries, seized from the JuD, JeM and other banned outfits, should be transferred to the health and education departments and a ‘mix and match policy’ should be adopted in this regard.

The FATF has also demanded that the Punjab government devise a comprehensive and long-term plan to run these institutions and allocate Rs2 billion or more in the provincial budget to bear their expenses. It was demanded that nobody should be given additional charge of banned organisations and officers should be regularly appointed there.

Sources said 599 properties of banned organisations had been seized. The FATF has asked for transferring 40 of 199 unregistered ambulances to the Health Department. The sources said the cabinet has approved the Freezing and Seizure Ordinance, 2019. The ordinance will soon be tabled in the assembly. The cabinet has decided to meet all FATF demands till Dec 2.