ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar has arrived in Berlin to lead the country’s delegation at the plenary meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Khar, also the Chair of Pakistan’s National FATF Coordination Committee, will present a review of Pakistan’s progress under the 2018 and 2021 FATF Action Plans, the Foreign Office said. The plenary will review the recommendations of FATF’s International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG).
The Minister of State will also hold meetings with the incoming and outgoing FATF Presidents, Executive Secretary of the FATF, and heads of delegations of FATF member states to apprise them of the tremendous progress made by Pakistan for completing both FATF Action Plans.
Khar will underscore the government’s high-level political commitment to further strengthen Pakistan’s domestic anti-terror funding and money laundering controls. “The Minister of State will underscore the Government’s high-level political commitment to further strengthen Pakistan’s domestic AML-CFT regime,” the Foreign Office said.
During the visit, the Minister of State will also hold meetings with dignitaries in Germany in the context of Pakistan-Germany bilateral relations. She is accompanied by a senior-level delegation including officials from foreign and finance ministries and other senior officials concerned.
Germany is hosting the FATF Plenary meeting in Berlin from 13-17 June 2022. The plenary session is expected to consider Pakistan’s review on June 15 and 16 while the decision will be announced on June 17.
In March, the FATF announced retaining Pakistan on its “grey list,” but recognized the “swift steps” taken by Islamabad to improve its anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of “terrorism” (CFT) regimes.
Pakistan has accomplished 32 out of 34 conditions of the FATF. Till 2018, Pakistan had completed 26 out of 27 terms. The FATF placed Pakistan on the grey list for four years due to six unfulfilled conditions.
