Pakistan will achieve all FATF targets in time: Qureshi

Shah Mehmood Qureshi urges opposition to avoid any steps that may strengthen Indian narrative

MULTAN/ ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday said the incumbent government would achieve all targets of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and get the country out of the anti-money laundering body’s grey list.

Talking to media, he said, “India has failed to get Pakistan included in the FATF blacklist. The country has been given various tasks until February 2020.”  Qureshi said the incumbent government would achieve all targets and bring the country out of the grey list.

He said India is facing crises as the world has neglected its viewpoint and the international civil society points out curfew and human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

He said the FATF recognised the steps taken by the incumbent government to control money laundering and terror financing, urging the opposition parties to avoid any steps which could strengthen the Indian point of view. Qureshi said India had occupied Kashmir on October 27 and Pakistan would observe that date as the “black day”.

Separately, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar said Pakistan has targeted to complete all items on its FATF action plan and get upgraded from the grey list to the white list in 2020.

The minister, in a tweet, said a coordinated effort from all regulators, law enforcement agencies (LEAs), federal and provincial government departments is already underway.

"Pakistan has targeted to complete all items on its FATF action plan and will be upgraded from the grey list to the white list of the FATF in 2020. A coordinated effort from all regulators, LEAs, federal and provincial government departments is already underway," he tweeted.

The minister said the FATF has noted progress already achieved by Pakistan during the last year and especially in the last four months.

However, he added that more work is needed to be done as the country's action plan was perhaps the most ambitious and challenging one ever handed out to any country.

The FATF plenary meeting was held in Paris from October 13-18, in which Pakistan delegation was led by Azhar. The FATF meeting considered Pakistan's progress report on the FATF action plan and Pakistan's APG Mutual Evaluation Report (MER).

Pakistan's delegation had reaffirmed its political commitment to fully implement the action plan.

The FATF plenary meeting decided to maintain the status quo on the FATF action plan and allow the usual 12 months observation period for the APG MER.

The delegation had also held sideline meetings with various delegations and briefed them about the progress made by Pakistan on the FATF action plan and steps taken for strengthening its Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financial Terrorism framework.

(With additional input from APP)