ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has expressed some concerns about the decision of placing Pakistan on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The foreign minister questioned the FATF’s decision of keeping the country on its increased monitoring list, despite completing 26 out of the 27 points under the action plan. Qureshi said whether FATF is a political forum or a technical one and whether it is being used to achieve political objectives, he maintained.
The foreign minister said that as far as the issue of addressing the FATF’s action plan is concerned, Pakistan has completed work on 26 points and added that it is significant progress that has been made.
“In my view, in such a situation, there is no reason to keep Pakistan on the grey list,” the foreign minister said. He also regretted that some forces want the sword to continue hanging over the country.
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Pakistan, he said, is taking steps in its own interest. “What is our interest? Our interest is to curb money laundering and terror financing and whatever is in our interest we will continue to do so.”
On Friday, the FATF, after a five-day plenary meeting, appreciated Pakistan’s progress and efforts to address items on its country action plan. However, the task force announced to keep the country on its grey list till it addressed “the one remaining CFT-related item”.
