The Financial Action Task Force on Friday said that Pakistan will remain on the financial watchdog’s ‘Grey List’ for four more months. The global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog asked Pakistan to work further to target senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups who are accused of financing terror.
“Pakistan has completed 26 of the 27 action items in its 2018 action plan. The FATF encourages Pakistan to continue to make progress to address, as soon as possible, the one remaining item by continuing to demonstrate that TF investigations and prosecutions target senior leaders and commanders of UN designated terrorist groups,” the FATF report said.
The report also pointed out that since June 2021, the Pakistan government took steps to strengthen its anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing (AML/CFT) regime and also addressed counter-terrorist financing-related deficiencies in the system.
It also pointed out that ‘6 of the 7 action items ahead of any relevant deadlines expiring’ which were shared with it after the plenary session in June 2021. The one objective that Pakistan has failed to complete has still led to its retention in the grey list.
The Imran Khan-led government failed to prosecute the top leadership of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Even though Hafiz Saeed, who is responsible for the 26/11 attacks, was arrested, he was allowed to go due to lack of evidence.
The FATF, however, praised Pakistan for completing 26 of the 27 action items in its 2018 action plan.
Pakistan has been in the crosshairs of the FATF for its role in terror financing. India on several occasions have urged the world community to focus on Pakistan’s continued terror financing which has led to instability in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir. It is also responsible for smuggling drugs into Punjab and other bordering states of India.
Pakistan spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is often accused of training and arming terrorists. Carnegie Endowment notes that the ISI was instrumental in creation of the Taliban (with the help of the US during the Soviet-Afghan war) and was also responsible for casualties when US withdrew from the nation after two decades of war.
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