Pakistan to approach FATF for action against India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Monday it was considering approaching the president of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for an appropriate action against the Indian government after its confessions of politicising the forum.

“Following the recent confession by Indian government, India’s credentials for assessing Pakistan in FATF as co-chair of the Joint Group or for that matter any other country are subject to questions, which we urge FATF to look into,” Foreign Office Spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said.

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had confessed on July 18 that “the Narendra Modi government ensured that Pakistan remained on the grey list of FATF”. In response to the media queries on India’s disagreeable role in the FATF grey-listing of Pakistan, the spokesman said the Indian statement not only exposed its true colours but also vindicated Pakistan’s long standing stance on India’s negative role in FATF.

Chaudhri mentioned that Pakistan had always been highlighting to the international community the politicisation of FATF and undermining of its processes by India. “The recent Indian statement is just further corroboration of its continued efforts to use an important technical forum for its narrow political designs against Pakistan,” he said.

“While Pakistan has been sincerely and constructively engaged with FATF during the implementation of the Action Plan, India left no stone unturned in casting doubts on Pakistan’s progress through disgraceful means,” he added. The spokesman said Pakistan had been exposing India’s duplicitous role to the international community in the past and it will also bring this recent confession by India to the notice of FATF and broader international community.

Pakistan’s immense progress in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) domain demonstrated through concrete, tangible and verifiable actions had been openly acknowledged by FATF, he said, adding: “We are resolved to sustain this momentum and trajectory with the support and cooperation of our international partners”.

The spokesman said India’s delusions of putting pressure on Pakistan had always remained unfulfilled and would never see the light of the day.“Despite distractions including politicisation of FATF processes by certain jurisdictions, Pakistan reaffirms its commitment to bring its AML/CFT systems to international standards for its own good and also to fulfill its international obligations and commitments,” he concluded.

Separately, Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar said on Monday India was “actively” engaged in politicising and undermining the technical processes and spirit of FATF.

“Our progress is nevertheless undeniable and we shall soon be completing our both action plans,” he said in a tweet. Hammad said the statement of Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar only confirmed what Pakistan had been saying all along.