Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday ruled out any chances of Pakistan being put on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklist.

“We will have to ensure the implementation of the action plan shared with the FATF while we are on the grey list,” Spokesperson Dr Faisal said during a weekly press briefing in Islamabad. “If adequate measures are taken, we can be removed from the grey list,” he said, adding that otherwise the country might face ‘problems’.

He said that the negotiated action plan with the FATF will be implemented to address the international community’s concerns. “We are in talks with the FATF over the plan of action,” he said. “In the past too, we were removed from the grey list after we took adequate measures,” he continued.

Pakistan was added to the global money laundering watchdog’s grey list after a FATF meeting in Paris confirmed the decision on Wednesday. Presenting Pakistan’s case at the FATF talks at the meeting, Dr Shamshad Akhtar, the interim minister for finance and planning, apprised the global watchdog of the steps the country had taken to stem money laundering and terror financing, and put up a robust case for not placing its name on the grey list.

During his weekly briefing, the FO spokesperson said Pakistan supports the Afghan peace and reconciliation process. “Islamabad will support all efforts for reconciliation by the Afghan leadership,” he said. “Afghan Taliban should accept the ceasefire offer and all relevant parties should come to the table,” he urged.

To a question, the spokesperson said the trust level between Pakistan and US was growing. Regarding the killing of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Mullah Fazlullah in a US drone strike, Dr Faisal said, “Pakistan breathed a sigh of relief following the confirmation of his death.”

The spokesman regretted the European Union’s approach of ignoring mass human rights violations in Indian-held Kashmir and urged them to support it.

Published in Daily Times, June 29^th 2018.