FATF delegation reviews Pakistan's steps taken against terror financing

US, UK, Germany and France had voted in favour of placing Pakistan on grey list during FATF meeting

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – A delegation of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Monday held talks with Pakistani officials and reviewed the measures taken by Pakistan to check money laundering and counter terror financing.

During the meeting, Pakistani officials briefed the delegation about the measures taken by the country to check money laundering and terror financing.

The delegation was also informed that under the light of the United Nations recommendations Pakistan has taken all possible measures to curb terror financing and money laundering.

It was further assured that Pakistan will ensure implementation of United Nations General Assembly’s rules 1276 and 1373.

The FATF delegation had arrived in Islamabad on Sunday for talks with Pakistani officials.

On June 28, the FATF, after a plenary meeting in Paris, officially placed Pakistan on its grey list.

Despite the efforts of Pakistan’s diplomat to avert the decision, the FATF argued that Pakistan had failed to cope with financial assistant to terrorist on its soil.

United States, Britain, Germany and France had voted in favour of placing Pakistan on grey list during FATF meeting while Pakistan’s closest allies Turkey, China and Saudi Arabia also backed them.

Pakistan had made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and to address its strategic counter-terrorist financing-related deficiencies.

Pakistan had to work to implement its action plan to accomplish 10 objectives;

1) Demonstrating that TF risks are properly identified, assessed, and that supervision is applied on a risk-sensitive basis;

(2) Demonstrating that remedial actions and sanctions are applied in cases of AML/CFT violations, and that these actions have an effect on AML/CFT compliance by financial institutions

(3) Demonstrating that competent authorities are cooperating and taking action to identify and take enforcement action against illegal money or value transfer services (MVTS);

(4) Demonstrating that authorities are identifying cash couriers and enforcing controls on illicit movement of currency and understanding the risk of cash couriers being used for TF;

(5) Improving inter-agency coordination including between provincial and federal authorities on combating TF risks;

(6) demonstrating that law enforcement agencies (LEAs) are identifying and investigating the widest range of TF activity and that TF investigations and prosecutions target designated persons and entities, and persons and entities acting on behalf or at the direction of the designated persons or entities;

(7) Demonstrating that TF prosecutions result in effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions and enhancing the capacity and support for prosecutors and the judiciary;

(8) Demonstrating effective implementation of targeted financial sanctions (supported by a comprehensive legal obligation) against all 1267 and 1373 designated terrorists and those acting for or on their behalf, including preventing the raising and moving of funds, identifying and freezing assets (movable and immovable), and prohibiting access to funds and financial services;

(9) Demonstrating enforcement against TFS violations including administrative and criminal penalties and provincial and federal authorities cooperating on enforcement cases;

(10) Demonstrating that facilities and services owned or controlled by designated persons are deprived of their resources and the usage of the resources.