Mutually negotiated 'action plan': how country will be added to FATF 'grey list' in June

Foreign Office Wednesday confirmed that Pakistan will be added to the "grey list" of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in June this year once an 'Action Plan' has been mutually negotiated. Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal, while responding to media queries during his regular weekly briefing, ruled out an immediate possibility of the country's nomination to blacklist of the global watchdog on money laundering and terror financing.
"Pakistan will be assigned to the 'grey list' in June, once an Action Plan has been mutually negotiated. The statement that Pakistan will be transferred from the 'grey' to the 'black' list in June this year is, therefore, not true," he said in response to a question.
He said that there is no immediate chance of Pakistan's nomination to the FATF's blacklist, adding that Pakistan is cooperating to address the concerns of the international community.
He declined to comment on the deliberations of the FATF plenary held from February 21-23 in Paris, saying the internal processes of FATF are confidential. "We will take further actions for addressing any remaining deficiencies," he added. He said that the FATF has highlighted certain deficiencies in the anti-money laundering and countering of terrorist financing (AML/CFT) framework of Pakistan.
Over the last few years, he stated that the government of Pakistan has taken a number of measures to address these issues, including through enactment of legislation, issuance of regulations and guidelines by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to the financial sector, establishment of the Financial Monitoring Unit and implementation of UNSC 1267 sanctions on the entities of concern - Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).
Asked to comment on the US concerns on presence of terrorist groups in Pakistan and the deficiencies in anti-money laundering/counterterrorism finance regime conveyed by senior Trump administration's official Lisa Curtis, the spokesperson said that Pakistan actively reiterated its position during the meetings with the US diplomat who visited the country on February 26.
"I will not be able to share any details, as the discussions are ongoing outside the public glare. However, I assure that Pakistan conveyed its position on all matters of national interest in the clearest manner to Curtis," he added.
He said that Lisa Curtis called on Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and the meeting took place in the context of "our regular and continuous engagement with the US."
He said that the main agenda of the Janjua-Curtis meeting was to exchange views and understand each other's perspective on how to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan. "Both sides have a desire to work together to pursue our common objective of stabilizing Afghanistan," he added. Referring to different statements coming from Washington, he said, "We continue to get differing signals from different levels of the US government."
General Votel, in his recent comments, appreciated the positive indicators from Pakistan. He said that Pakistan has made immense efforts to address issues related to counterterrorism. "We continue to ask the US for actionable evidence," he added.
On the reports that the Afghan government has requested Qatar to close down Taliban's Doha office, he said that Pakistan has always maintained the principled stance that the only solution to the Afghan conflict lies in a politically negotiated settlement led by an Afghan-owned peace process which should appropriately include all Afghan parties and factions.
He said that a military approach over the past 17 years has failed to render the desired results, adding that it has rather exacerbated the situation and increased the miseries of the Afghan civilians.
To a question about the reports that the EU has threatened Pakistan to review its GSP plus status if no progress was made on the release of a blasphemy convict Asia Bibi, the spokesperson said that he was not aware of any such development. To another query, he stated that Rome's Colosseum was illuminated red to express solidarity with "persecuted Christians around the world" by the Catholic Group, Aid to Church in Need.
He said that the event was not specific to any country, but was in solidarity with Christians worldwide. He said that there were live link-ups with Aleppo, Syria, and Mosul, Iraq. Simultaneously, the Maronite Cathedral of Saint Elias in Aleppo in Syria and Church of Saint Paul in Mosul, Iraq, were also illuminated in red as a symbol of "blood of martyred Christians," he added.
He said that Archbishop Nunzio Galantino, Secretary General of Italian Bishops Conference addressed the gathering and some sections of the media twisted his remarks. He said that the husband and daughter of Asia Bibi were also present on the occasion. "They often go to Rome, so it was not a one-off visit," he added.
To another query, he said that the UK government has confirmed more than once through formal communications, as well as in a press statement, that it would continue to allow trade concessions to Pakistan after Brexit, as is being done by the EU through GSP Plus scheme.
He said that Pakistan is successfully implementing the 27 international conventions that it has signed under the agreement. The annual trade between Pakistan and the UK stands at about US $2.5 billion, with Pakistan's exports to the United Kingdom at US $1,591 million, he said, adding Pakistan's imports from the UK are around US $904 million.
The main exports items to UK include; i) textiles, ii) rice, iii) woven cotton fabrics, iv) medical/surgical instruments, v) synthetic fabrics and vi) sports goods, whereas UK's main exports to Pakistan are; i) machinery and parts, ii) ores and concentrates of iron and steel, iii) chemical material and products, iv) medicinal and pharmaceutical products, v) iron and steel and products.
On the FIA's contact with Interpol to issue red warrant for Pakistan's former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, the spokesperson said that the FIA is taking necessary action to implement the directives of the Supreme Court. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide whatever assistance it can, as far as coordination with the US authorities is concerned, he added.