Exiting grey list of FATF still not pull off by Pakistan

F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Despite making hard efforts, Pakistan fails to exit the Financial Action Task Force`s (FATF) grey list along with this, FATF has strongly urged Pakistan to swiftly complete its full action plan before June 2021, on February 25th.

Financial Action Task Force, issues its official statement, it emphasized that “Since June 2018, when Pakistan made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and APG to strengthen its AML/CFT regime and to address its strategic counter-terrorist financing-related deficiencies, Pakistan’s continued political commitment has led to significant progress across a comprehensive CFT action plan’.

The official statement mentioned, ‘ it includes, demonstrating that law enforcement agencies are identifying and investigating the widest range of TF activity, demonstrating enforcement against TFS violations, and working to prevent the raising and moving of funds including by controlling facilities and services owned or controlled by designated persons and entities.”

Furthermore, the statement also recommended to work on few aspects, stating that “Pakistan should continue to work on implementing the three remaining items in its action plan to address its strategically important deficiencies, namely by:

(1) demonstrating that TF investigations and prosecutions target persons and entities acting on behalf or at the direction of the designated persons or entities; (2) demonstrating that TF prosecutions result in effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions; and (3) demonstrating effective implementation of targeted financial sanctions against all 1267 and 1373 designated terrorists, specifically those acting for or on their behalf.”

While concluding, the official statement acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts stating that, “The FATF takes note of the significant progress made on the entire action plan. To date, Pakistan has made progress across all action plan items and has now largely addressed 24 of the 27 action items. As all action plan deadlines have expired, the FATF strongly urges Pakistan to swiftly complete its full action plan before June 2021.”

Meanwhile, the ministry of Finance reaffirmed its commitment to continue strengthening the AML/CFT regime in line with the global standards.