ISLAMABAD – Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced on Sunday that Pakistan has successfully avoided being placed on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, despite strong efforts by India and Israel to influence the outcome.
In a post on social media platform X, Asif revealed that the FATF’s International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) held a crucial meeting, during which member countries rejected proposals to grey-list Pakistan. He credited China’s clear and firm support as a key factor in the decision.
Additionally, Turkiye endorsed China’s stance, and Japan, which co-chairs the Asia-Pacific Group, fully supported Pakistan’s position. Asif called the outcome a significant diplomatic victory, stating that Pakistan has met all of FATF’s conditions and does not deserve to be placed on any watch list.
Meanwhile, sources said India’s delegation made a concerted push to bring Pakistan back under increased scrutiny, especially after Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos. However, FATF opted to keep Pakistan under its regular “enhanced monitoring” process instead of adding it to the grey list.
Asif emphasized that this marks a complete failure of India and Israel’s campaign, which included disinformation efforts allegedly driven by the Indian intelligence agency RAW. Reports suggest that a propaganda lab was set up in New Delhi to spread false narratives about Pakistan’s financial practices.
In contrast, international support for Pakistan continues to grow, and the recent FATF decision reflects increasing confidence in the country’s regulatory reforms and financial transparency efforts.