India hopeful of Pakistan's return to FATF 'grey list' soon

Top Indian officials on Friday said apart from the Indian dossier on Pakistan sponsored terrorism to back Pakistan’s grey listing, the FATF’a own review is also bound to find merit in the case.

Pakistan was removed from the FATF grey list in 2022 subject to promises and assurances that it would enact a law to counter financial crimes and plug laundering of money for a range or illegal purposes.

“That law has not come through. So there will be a list or omissions on the part of Pakistan and there will also be a list of commissions. The FATF is itself likely to find a case for Pakistan’s return to the grey list on grounds that the assured law has nor come. This will be apart from the Indian dossier. We will of course make a strong case that Pakistan be grey listed.

The India position at the FATF would be in continuation of its engagement of multi lateral agencies in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 Indians.

At the IMF also India engaged all members to discourage listing of a Pakistan project agenda given the timing of the review post the Pahalgam attack.

The IMF members, however, went ahead and sanctioned the loan which India “did its best to question .”

“We are nor against development assistance to any country but the timing of the IMF meeting to review Pakistan loan was questionable. We tried our level best to stop it,” said top sources.

It is further learnt that Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke to IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva to defer the meeting reminding her of IMF’s own data that shows how Pakistan’s arms spending has shot up following every IMF loan sanction.

The IMF recently sanctioned Pakistan's project specific grants over one billion US$ imposing 11 conditions.