The Pakistani government is hopeful that money laundering watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) remove Pakistan from its increased monitoring list, also known as the ‘grey list’, after its plenary session concludes tonight.
The session continued for days, and took place in Berlin, Germany. The final session is to take place today (Friday) with the reveal of Pakistan’s fate regarding the ‘grey list’ expected as well.
A spokesperson for the government told BBC Urdu that the outcome seemed like it would be favorable for Pakistan, however, even if the country was removed from the list, it could take seven to eight months for matters to ‘settle down’.
He also revealed that once removed from the list, Pakistan would be visited by the FATF to ‘satisfy itself that work on its recommendations has been completed’.
Pakistan was placed on the list in June 2018, for failing to keep money laundering and terrorist financing in check. Since then, it had launched a massive diplomatic effort to get itself off the list. International media reported about China’s ‘quiet lobbying’ in Pakistan’s favor, which continued during the plenary sessions as well, along with some other allies of Pakistan.
Some politicians and journalists began reporting Pakistan’s removal from the list, before it had been announced by the FATF. However, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar in a tweet discouraged speculating over the outcome of the sessions, saying that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had planned a briefing for Saturday morning.
The #FATF Plenary Meetings r continuing in Berlin. FATF will issue a Public Statement after conclusion of the meetings tonight. Prejudging the outcome or speculative reporting could and should be avoided.
GOP has arranged a media briefing at MOFA on Saturday morning on this issue— Hina R Khar (@HinaRKhar) June 17, 2022
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb also reiterated Khar’s message and discouraged people from speculating.
فنانشل ایکشن ٹاسک فورس (فاٹف) کی گرے لسٹ سے پاکستان کا نام نکلنے یا رہنے سے متعلق قیاس آرائیاں نہ کی جائیں۔ یہ مناسب نہیں۔ جرمنی میں منعقدہ فاٹف اجلاس کا بیان آج شب جاری ہونا ہے جبکہ وزارت خارجہ میں کل (ہفتے) کو اس کی تفصیلات بیان کی جائیں گی۔
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) June 17, 2022
