Pakistan meets major FATF conditions: Shah

Interior minister tells PM his ministry took kinetic, non-kinetic measures, legislative amendments

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has met most of the conditions set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – an intergovernmental organisation that aims at making policies to combat money laundering and terrorism financing, Minister for Interior Ijaz Shah told Prime Minister Imran Khan in a meeting on Wednesday.

At the meeting, the interior minister presented a report to the premier on performance of his ministry and its various departments in the last 20 months – from August 2018 to April 2020 – listing the ministry’s achievements, including implementing majority of the FATF requirements.

The FATF formally placed Pakistan in its grey list in June 2018, asserting that the country has failed to take necessary measures against terror financing on its soil. The global body gave the country 15-month-time to implement its 27-point action plan.

In October 2019, the organisation gave four more months to Islamabad to avoid its blacklist that could result in a freeze of capital flows to the country and slow progress in refinancing and re-profiling loans from major bilateral creditors.

On February 21, 2020 the global financial watchdog decided not to blacklist Pakistan and give it four more months till end June to complete its action plan as a “vast majority of FATF members recognised Islamabad’s enormous efforts to improve its counter-terror financing regime”.

“Despite the challenges of the task assigned and concerns pertaining to internal security, the ministry was able to deliver by meeting the majority of the requirements of the FATF and taking some kinetic and non-kinetic measures including legislative amendments,” the report said.

Listing the ministry’s achievements, the report stated that the ministry proscribed two main and 11 affiliated organisations as well as froze 976 movable and immovable properties of proscribed outfits.

Without mentioning the total number, it said, the ministry took over schools, colleges, hospitals, dispensaries, ambulances etc, of the proscribed organisations into government’s control.

Conviction of 200 plus main individuals and supporters as well as recovery of funds amounting to Rs2,400 million for management of taken over facilities were also listed as achievements in the report.

It said amendments in Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 (ATA) were made in line with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Act, adding that the ministry completed scrutiny of 4th schedule list, divided the 4th schedulers into 3 categories and formed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for their management.

The fourth schedule of ATA is related to persons and organisations that have been declared proscribed.

The person who has been placed on the fourth schedule list requires to seek prior permission from the officer in charge of the police station of the concerned area before moving from his permanent place of residence for any period of time and to keep him informed about the place.

“The ministry worked on preparation of asset freezing rules to regulate the freezing of assets. It introduced Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) law and a total of 84 MLA requests were sent to foreign countries for provision of information and response to all the MLA requests of 2019-20.”

Moreover, the report read, the ministry introduced Charity Law in all the provinces.

 Revival of NAP

During the meeting, Brigadier Ijaz informed Prime Minister Imran that in the last 20 months, the National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism was revived.

In this regard, 14 high-level committees consisting of experts were formed that will present their recommendations on various issues within a month. A comprehensive policy was formulated for the complete eradication of terrorism from the country, especially for the prevention of terrorist financing.

Shah said a high-level steering committee was formulating a comprehensive policy and detailed strategy to tackle the scourge of smuggling and to effectively curb this menace that is causing irreparable damage to the national economy and industry.

 Foreign dignitaries’ successful visits

It said the ministry fulfilled its foremost responsibility – the internal security – and visits of foreign dignitaries including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, British royal couple – Prince William and Princess Catherine and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman proved to be “very successful”

The report highlighted that the ministry achieved progress on the anti-terrorism front while boosting tourism and making the country safer for the visitors who want to come and enjoy its beauty.

To help boost tourism, it said, the interior ministry started issuing online and electronic visas to citizens of 175 countries which is vital to bringing in foreign investment to the country.

 Reduction in Crime in ICT

In the last year, the report reads, there has been an overall decrease of 15.37% in heinous crimes in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) as compared to the same period last year.

“Islamabad has been declared the safest city of Pakistan. The capital has been ranked 58 out of 374 cities according to the World Crime Index with safety situation better than Toronto, Amsterdam and Beijing. The United Nation has restored the status of Islamabad as a family station after 12 years.”

 Coronavirus emergency

The ministry has effectively been performing its frontline role in the battle against novel coronavirus, it said, adding that the interior ministry participates in the high-powered ministerial committee that meets every morning in the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).