India welcomes FATF's move to place Pak in 'grey list' for failing to check terrorism
New Delhi: India on Saturday welcomed a decision by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) — a global inter-governmental body to combat terror financing — to put Pakistan on its “grey list” for monitoring by the FATF’s International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG).
The “grey list” comprises nations who are seen to have failed to fulfil their obligations to combat terror-financing.
Islamabad is facing the heat globally for its failure or complicity to crack down on terror outfits operating from its soil or territory controlled by it. The decision was taken by the FATF Plenary that met in Paris from June 24 to 29 and comes as vindication for India which has drawn attention worldwide to the fact that Pakistan is blatantly continuing to sponsor terror groups and is using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.
According to various media reports, the FATF took the decision due to “strategic deficiencies” in Islamabad’s anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing regime.
The decision reportedly came despite a desperate Pakistan having submitted a comprehensive 26-point action plan to the FATF to choke the funding of terror groups over a period of 15 months to avoid being blacklisted.
On Saturday in New Delhi, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said, “India welcomes the decision of the FATF to place Pakistan in its Compliance Document (grey list) for ICRG monitoring. Pakistan has given a high level political commitment to address the global concerns regarding its implementation of the FATF standards for countering terror financing and anti-money laundering, especially in respect of United Nations designated and internationally proscribed terror entities and individuals. The freedom and impunity with which the designated terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and entities like Jamaat-Ud-Dawaa, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Jaish-e-Mohammed continue to operate in Pakistan is not in keeping with such commitments.” The MEA added, “We hope that the FATF Action plan shall be complied with in a time bound manner and credible measures would be taken by Pakistan to address global concerns related to terrorism emanating from any territory under its control.”
