FATF legislation leaves no reason to keep Pakistan in grey list: FM Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday said that Pakistan had carried out the legislation to move itself from the grey to white list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

While speaking in the Senate, he said: ”Pakistan has completed all the phases of the process and now there is no reason to keep it in the grey list.”

He said that parliament had amended the Anti-Terrorism Act and the United Nations Security Council Act and now the Asia Pacific Group would analyse the report to be sent by Pakistan.

The report would be considered in the plenary of FATF in October, which would decide to put Pakistan in the white list or vice versa.

There were no reasons now to keep Pakistan in the grey list, he added.

The foreign minister thanked the opposition parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party and Jamaat-e-Islami for supporting the government in the passage of two bills related to FATF.

If Pakistan were included in the white list, the credit would go to both the opposition and treasury benches, he asserted. "The Senate foiled the designs of India, which wanted to push Pakistan from the grey list to the black one to create economic difficulties for it. The effort of government was to bring Pakistan in the white list."

The political parties, he said, proved that they could rise above personal and partisan interests for the sake of country. The legislation would help Pakistan. “The governments come and go but the interest of the state remains supreme.”

FM Qureshi said India went to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the issue of Kulbhushan Jhadav but the ICJ in its verdict refused to order release of the spy. However, it put two legal obligations on Pakistan, first was that Kulbhushan Jadhav should be given consular access and second he should be given a fair trial and opportunity of reconsideration of his case, he explained.

He said Pakistan gave consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav thrice but India made different excuses and did not avail the opportunity. He went to say that the ICJ review and reconsideration ordinance was promulgated in an open process. "First the matter was discussed in the cabinet and then the prime minister sent a summary to the president, who on his advice promulgated the ordinance which was later published in the official gazette."

Leader of the House in Senate Shahzad Waseem said the United Nations had mentioned in a report that India is involved in terrorism in its neighbouring countries.

He said the opposition should remain assured that Jadhav is not going anywhere, his sentence would not be reduced and he would suffer for his crimes.

The passage of FATF-related legislation, he said, showed the political maturity and collective wisdom of the leaders in the Senate, who were aware of the security interests of the state of Pakistan. "Pakistan is emerging as a peaceful and responsible state in the world."