FATF puts Pak on terror ‘blacklist’

New Delhi, August 23

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The Asia Pacific Group of the FATF, a global watchdog for terror financing and money-laundering, has put Pakistan on terror “blacklist” for its failure to curb funnelling of funds to groups responsible for scores of attacks in India, officials said here today.

Putting Pakistan on “Enhanced Expedited Follow Up List”, the Financial Action Task Force’s Asia Pacific Group also found that the country was non-compliant on 32 of 40 parameters related to terror-financing and money-laundering, they said.

The FATF APG meeting was held in Canberra, Australia, and the discussions, which ended today, lasted over seven hours on two days.

India is a member of both APG and the FATF consultations and was represented by a team of officials from the ministries of Home, External Affairs and Finance.

Pakistan’s multi-ministerial team at the APG meeting was led by the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan.

“The APG has placed Pakistan on the Enhanced Expedited Follow Up List (blacklist) for failure to meet its standards,” an Indian official privy to developments said. It had failed to stop funding to groups like the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed, he added.

Actions demanding a review of Pakistan’s compliance record were pushed by the United States, the UK, Germany and France.

Despite its efforts, Pakistan could not convince the 41-member APG plenary to upgrade it on any parameter, he said.

On 11 “effectiveness parameters” of terror financing and money-laundering, Pakistan was adjudged low on 10. — PTI