Pak claims no grey listing by FATF

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 21

Pakistan today claimed it is not being grey-listed at ongoing meetings of the UN-led Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global watchdog that combats terror financing and money laundering.

The six-day FATF meeting is underway in Paris. Established in 1989, FATF plenary meets every three months and seeks to set legal and regulatory mechanisms to counter terror financing globally. The “grey list” denotes countries that are not doing enough to comply with terror-funding regulations.

Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja M Asif tweeted this morning: “Our efforts paid, FATF Paris 20 Feb meeting conclusion on US-led motion to put Pakistan on watch list: No consensus for nominating Pakistan, proposing 3 months pause & asking APG (Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering) for another report to be considered in June. Grateful to friends who helped.”

While Pakistan denied the reports, sources maintained that ICRG proceedings are closed door and Islamabad was using secrecy of proceedings as a shield.

Indian official sources today said a decision on Pakistan’s grey-listing in Paris is yet to be made. While confirming “there was lack of consensus” at current ICRG round, the sources said the outcome could be different at the APG round starting today. The US, too, did not confirm any such early conclusion as drawn by the Pakistani minister.