ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government said it is committed to fulfilling demands made by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to combat money laundering and terror financing.
“Fulfilling the FATF obligations will serve as an important message to the international community, particularly G-8 countries that wish to see strengthened compliance in Pakistan’s financial sector,” Dr. Vaqar Ahmed, an economist and joint executive director of the Islamabad-based Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), told Arab News.
Caretaker Prime Minister Nasir-ul-Mulk chaired a high-level meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) in Islamabad on Friday to discuss measures to combat money laundering and terror financing, his office said.
Civilian and military leaders attended the meeting, which also reviewed Pakistan’s overall economic situation.
The participants “reiterated a firm commitment” to fulfilling FATF obligations regarding combating money laundering and terror financing, the prime minister’s office said.
“Pakistan’s stock market is feeling jittery, and a pragmatic approach to fulfilling FATF obligations will give confidence to the market and investors,” Ahmed said.
On June 30, caretaker Finance Minister Dr. Shamshad Akhtar reiterated the government’s resolve to strengthen measures against terrorism and terror financing.
Pakistan ready to meet FATF demands — Govt
Pakistan ready to meet FATF demands — Govt
- The government says it is committed to fulfilling demands made by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to combat money laundering and terror financing
- On June 30, caretaker Finance Minister Dr. Shamshad Akhtar reiterated the government’s resolve to strengthen measures against terrorism and terror financing
WHO appeals for $1 bn for world’s worst health crises in 2026
- The UN health agency estimated 239 million people would need urgent humanitarian assistance this year and the money would keep essential health services going
GENEVA: The World Health Organization on Tuesday appealed for $1 billion to tackle health crises this year across the world’s 36 most severe emergencies, including in Gaza, Sudan, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The UN health agency estimated 239 million people would need urgent humanitarian assistance this year and the money would keep essential health services going.
WHO health emergencies chief Chikwe Ihekweazu told reporters in Geneva: “A quarter of a billion people are living through humanitarian crises that strip away the most basic protections: safety, shelter and access to health care.
“In these settings, health needs are surging, whether due to injuries, disease outbreaks, malnutrition or untreated chronic diseases,” he warned.
“Yet access to care is shrinking.”
The agency’s emergency request was significantly lower than in recent years, given the global funding crunch for aid operations.
Washington, traditionally the UN health agency’s biggest donor, has slashed foreign aid spending under President Donald Trump, who on his first day back in office in January 2025 handed the WHO his country’s one-year withdrawal notice.
Last year, WHO had appealed for $1.5 billion but Ihekweazu said that only $900 million was ultimately made available.
Unfortunately, he said, the agency had been “recognizing ... that the appetite for resource mobilization is much smaller than it was in previous years.”
“That’s one of the reasons that we’ve calibrated our ask a little bit more toward what is available realistically, understanding the situation around the world, the constraints that many countries have,” he said.
The WHO said in 2026 it was “hyper-prioritising the highest-impact services and scaling back lower?impact activities to maximize lives saved.”
Last year, global funding cuts forced 6,700 health facilities across 22 humanitarian settings to either close or reduce services, “cutting 53 million people off from health care.” Ihekweazu said.
“Families living on the edge face impossible decisions, such as whether to buy food or medicine,” he added, stressing that “people should never have to make these choices.”
“This is why today we are appealing to the better sense of countries, and of people, and asking them to invest in a healthier, safer world.”
