Pakistan rejects Indian reports on FATF grey list

Says global watchdog has made no new decision about country

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Friday rejected the Indian media’s fabricated news reports that the country would continue to remain on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list because of its “failure” to achieve the goals of the global watchdog’s action plan in its recently concluded virtual plenary session.

In a statement, the foreign ministry also rejected the remarks made by the Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson.

“We also completely reject the Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson’s terrorism-related allegations against Pakistan,” it read.

The ministry said Pakistan was prepared to present its progress report to FATF in the plenary meeting which was scheduled for June 2020. However, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the FATF decided on April 28 on a general pause for four months in the review process for a number of countries under International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) assessment including Pakistan.

The agenda of FATF’s virtual plenary meeting, held on 24 June 2020, did not include Pakistan. In this virtual plenary meeting, no new decision regarding Pakistan was made. The decisions taken by FATF in February 2020 plenary meeting regarding a number of countries including Pakistan remain in effect. The evaluation of Pakistan’s FATF Action Plan would be made in the next plenary cycle, in which the country would present its progress report.



“In this backdrop, reports in the Indian media insinuating that FATF has extended Pakistan on the grey list are patently misleading and part of the incessant smear campaign by India against Pakistan,” the statement read.

“Pakistan has repeatedly drawn the attention of the international community towards India’s sinister attempts to use FATF process for its narrow political gains, it added.

“Pakistan has also been raising the issue of India’s dubious credentials as an impartial and objective assessor of Pakistan’s progress on the FATF Action Plan. India’s efforts to misuse the technical forum of FATF for discrediting Pakistan have been noticed by FATF members and are not appreciated by the international community.”

The ministry said Pakistan remained committed to completing its FATF Action Plan and continued to make progress. “We hope that the FATF membership would take cognisance of India’s malicious campaign against Pakistan and reject any attempt at politicising the FATF proceedings.”