The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is all set for its strategic review of Pakistan and to decide whether the country will retain its position on the Grey list or not. The meeting of members of the global watchdog is ongoing and is scheduled to conclude on Friday, June 17. The South Asian country has been enlisted in FAFT’s ‘Grey list’ since June 2018 after the then Prime Minister Imran Khan-led administration failed to fulfil the deficiencies in its system listed by FAFT officials.
Notably, the Paris-based monitoring body currently has 39 members including two regional organisations – the European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council. India is a member of the FATF consultations and its Asia Pacific Group. In the recent development, a report by ANI stated that the panel decision on Pakistan’s listing would be laid bare to the public on Friday, June 17.
According to Toolitaki, the FATF Grey list is its official list of countries and jurisdictions that are identified as having strategic deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing. After getting included in the list in June, last year, Islamabad was given three months to fulfil the deficiencies. However, it was retained in the Grey list after it failed to effectively implement progress in the investigation and prosecution of UN-designated terrorist leaders.
It is pertinent to note that there have been many incidences that substantiate Islamabad’s involvement in sponsoring terrorism. Regardless, the Indian Army and law enforcement have been successful in culling Pakistan’s ambition to disturb the internal peace of the Indian republic. In the latest incident, J&K police last week, foiled a potential attack on Amarnath Yatra by neutralising two terrorists.
In the counter-terror operation which broke out in J&K’s Bemina area of Srinagar, police officials reported that Pakistan-based and LeT-backed terrorists were sent with an intention to attack the upcoming Amarnath Yatra.
“Pakistan-based handlers had sent two Pakistani terrorists of LeT terror outfit along with one local terrorist Adil Hussain Mir of Pahalgam Anantnag, who has been in Pakistan since 2018 (now all 3 killed), with the intention to attack Yatra,” IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said. Police also recovered some documents as well as incriminating materials from the possession of these terrorists.
FAFT lauds France for sanctioning Pakistan-based terrorists
Anti-terror financing watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has praised France’s decision to sanction Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Azhar. Following the 2019 Pulwama attacks, French intelligence proposed a list of terrorists that shaped “international sanctions policy”, as per the organisation. Azhar commands Jaish-e-Mohammad, the organisation responsible for the Pulwama attacks. A total of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in the gruesome attacks.
In its recently released Mutual Evaluation Report, the intergovernmental body has said “France adopted a national freezing measure on 15 March (2019) against Mohamed Masood Azhar Alvi, the founder and leader of that organisation” and Paris “subsequently proposed a draft European listing, while supporting a United Nations 1267 listing, which was obtained on 1st May 2019.” Through its sanctions, France eventually played an active role in international sanctions policy and designations on the UN list.