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Published 17 Feb, 2022 11:57am

Indian media reports Pakistan likely to slip into FATF's 'black list' for non-compliance

A few Indian media outs have reported that Pakistan is likely to slip into the Financial Action Task Force's "black list" for "non-compliance" ahead of the global anti-terrorist financing and anti-money laundering watchdog's Plenary and Working Group Meetings in Paris.

This was reported in The Print on Wednesday citing a Global Strat View's analytical report, which is an Indian-based virtual think-tank.

The FATF meeting is due to start on February 21 and continue till March 4.

The report said the Pakistani government "failed to take action against terror organisations", and mentioned that the government was "capitulating" before the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Last year, a ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and the TTP could not be extended after a month due to demands of the banned organisation as the officials stated that "such demands could not be accepted by any government".

Since then, an increase in attacks on security officials and polio workers has been witnessed across the country, especially in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's tribal areas.

The report also said the federal government's decisions may have violated the FATF's mandates.

"The Islamabad government has decided to start the Afghanistan Relief Fund to collect funds from the world, primarily from Muslim countries," read the report, adding the federal government move to finance "new Taliban regime would not go well with the western bloc". And this may result in "sanctions from the FATF".

However, a South Asian policy expert, Michael Kugelman, took to Twitter and asked readers not to "believe Indian press reports claiming FATF will soon blacklist Pakistan."

"The reasons cited (Pakistan caving to TTP, seeking funding for Taliban govt) are irrelevant b/c they don't relate to Pakistan's FATF action plan. It may stay graylisted; no reason to expect blacklist," he said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, many social media users described the analytical report as "propaganda" and "absurd" piece.

Pakistan has been on the FATF’s grey list since June 2018 as the Paris-based watchdog noted deficiencies in the country's counter-terror financing and anti-money laundering regimes.

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