FATF: What is Pakistan doing to get out of the gray list?

 In recent weeks, Pakistan has been preparing its case to get out of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gray list. In June 2018, the FATF added Pakistan to its gray list, which means that Pakistan will be constantly monitored to see what practical steps it can take to curb terrorism and terrorist financing. doing. The FATF is an intergovernmental body established in 1989. The main purpose of this institution is to protect the international financial system from terrorism, money laundering, and other such threats and to this end legal, disciplinary and practical measures should be taken.

Pakistan was given until October 2019 to take necessary steps in this regard, which was later extended by four months. Pakistan assured that it would develop an effective system for enacting and implementing the necessary legislation within the given time frame. In February 2020, the FATF acknowledged that Pakistan had complied with 14 of the 27 demands made by the task force, but the organization expressed concern and placed Pakistan on the gray list. That no progress has been made in many areas in this regard. Now, the FATF meeting on September 14-21 will review how much progress Pakistan has made on the remaining 13 issues. The FATF has placed Pakistan on the gray list, expressing concern that Pakistan has not made progress in many areas. The next meeting in October will decide whether Pakistan should It should be kept on the gray list or included in the white list, ie Pakistan should be declared a country where money laundering and terrorism is not financed or Pakistan should be blacklisted like North Korea and Iran. Strict economic sanctions should be imposed on India. The Pakistani government says it has drafted eight bills to amend existing laws on anti-money laundering and terrorist financing.

A committee of 24 members of the government and the opposition has also been formed to reach a consensus on the legislation. So far, six of the eight bills have been passed with the help of the opposition. Such a consensus between the government and the opposition is rare in Pakistan. According to observers, one of the reasons for this is the pressure from the country's powerful army. Hafiz Saeed, founder of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, was also sentenced before the FATF meeting in February this year. The FATF action plan calls on Pakistan to punish the banned organizations and their affiliates. Bring them and confiscate their movable and immovable properties. Some observers believe that there have been several instances of sanctions and sanctions being imposed in Pakistan before the FATF meeting. In August this year, Pakistan announced sanctions against 88 individuals with alleged links to extremist organizations. These extremist organizations include the so-called Islamic State, al-Qaeda and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Similarly, Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, was also sentenced before the FATF meeting in February this year. Meanwhile, three close associates of Hafiz Saeed were convicted by a court on August 27 on charges of financing terrorism.

It is reported that in the last meeting, the United States had persuaded Saudi Arabia to withdraw its vote in favor of Pakistan. With the implementation of the FATF action plan, Pakistan is trying to fight its case at the diplomatic level as well. So far, support from Turkey, Malaysia and China has played a key role in keeping Pakistan off the FATF blacklist. Meanwhile, China has been pressuring Pakistan to step up operations against extremist organizations and meet FATF demands. Pakistan also hopes that the United States can help Pakistan in the next summit because of its role in bringing peace to Afghanistan. It is reported that in the last meeting, the United States had persuaded Saudi Arabia to withdraw its vote in favor of Pakistan. Pakistan needed a decisive vote from Saudi Arabia to get out of the gray list, meaning that if Saudi Arabia had voted in favor of Pakistan, Pakistan would have been removed from the gray list and this would have been a great achievement for Pakistan. Since then, Pakistan has been playing its part in bringing the Afghan Taliban to the negotiating table with the United States. Talks between the Taliban and the United States are crucial to President Trump's plan to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan. Pakistan also hopes that the United States can help Pakistan in the next summit because of its role in bringing peace to Afghanistan.Some elements still stand in the way of Pakistan's efforts, especially India's complaints that Pakistan has not given up its support for extremist organizations that continue to operate in Pakistan. Are

The FATF meetings and decisions and the steps taken by the Pakistani government are being widely discussed in the Pakistani media. Media comments praised the government's efforts. The Pakistan Today newspaper wrote that if Pakistan could save itself from being blacklisted by presenting a proper and good case, then the pace of measures related to money laundering and financing of terrorism would continue. Should not be less Similarly, security expert Aamir Rana predicted in a local TV talk show that Pakistan could be removed from the gray list at the October meeting as Pakistan's report on the remaining 13 points was quite satisfactory. Is. However, a dispute between the government and the opposition over legislation to meet the FATF's demands is also being discussed. The government alleges that the opposition wants to use the opportunity to get concessions in cases against it. The opposition alleges that the government, under the guise of FATF, wants to make laws that give it dictatorial powers.