ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s finance chief Shaukat Tarin said on Saturday the recent decision by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to retain his country on its “grey list” was made “under the influence of some powerful nations,” though he also hoped Pakistan would exit the list during this year.
Pakistan was placed on the grey list of countries by the global financial watchdog in 2018 for inadequate terror funding and money laundering controls. In June last year, FATF President Marcus Pleyer said Islamabad had made “significant progress” but there remained “serious deficiencies” in mechanisms to plug money laundering and terrorism financing.
The FATF released a statement on Friday after its recent plenary meeting on March 1-4, recognizing Pakistan had taken “swift steps” to strengthen its financial system as recommended by the global body, though it decided not to remove it from the list of countries of concern.
“We have completed 26 conditions out of 27 of the action plan,” Tarin told an international media outlet during his visit to Dubai. “The FATF decision is politically motivated and it was taken under the influence of some powerful nations to pressurize Pakistan over its strategic policy decisions.”
Officials in Islamabad have frequently accused India of lobbying to retain Pakistan on the FATF grey list.
Despite its skepticism, however, Tarin also expressed hope that his country would exit the grey list in the ongoing year since it had almost met all the targets set by the international body.
Last year in June, Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also maintained that his country had made substantial progress to strengthen its financial system, adding there was “no justification to keep Pakistan on the grey list” anymore.
“We will have to see if the FATF is a technical forum or ... being used for political purposes,” he had maintained.
The FATF said in its statement on Friday: “Since June 2021, Pakistan has taken swift steps toward improving its AML/CFT [anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism] regime and completed 6 of the 7 action items ahead of any relevant deadlines expiring, including by demonstrating that it is enhancing the impact of sanctions by nominating individuals and entities for UN designation and restraining and confiscating proceeds of crime in line with Pakistan’s risk profile.”
It also urged Islamabad to complete the one remaining action item “by demonstrating a positive and sustained trend of pursuing complex money laundering investigations and prosecutions.”
Pakistan says FATF decision ‘politically motivated’ as watchdog retains it on grey list
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Pakistan says FATF decision ‘politically motivated’ as watchdog retains it on grey list
- The global financial watchdog placed Pakistan on its ‘grey list’ in 2018 for inadequate terror funding and money laundering controls
- Shaukat Tarin expresses hope Pakistan will exit the FATF list during the course of this year
Qatar, Pakistan resolve to boost strategic, economic cooperation at Doha talks
- Both countries urge dialogue on Afghanistan amid renewed border tensions between Islamabad and Kabul
- Discussions focus on bilateral trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistani premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense ministers to discuss cooperation in various domains.
The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.
“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.
“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”
Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.
Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Sharif said he had productive discussions with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on how the two sides could transform their brotherly ties into mutually beneficial economic relationships.
“We also took stock of the regional situation,” he said on X. “Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN
Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.
The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.
Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.
He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.
