U.S. ASKS PAK TO COMPLETE FATF’S ACTION PLAN
The US has urged Pakistan to continue working with the FATF to “swiftly complete” its 27-point action plan by demonstrating that terrorism financing probes and prosecutions target senior leaders and commanders of the UN-designated terror groups.
At its virtual plenary meeting last month, the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) retained Pakistan on its grey list and asked Pakistan to investigate and prosecute UN-designated terrorists.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Monday: “Pakistan has made significant progress on its first action plan with 26 of 27 action items largely addressed... We encourage Pakistan to continue working with the FATF and the international community to swiftly complete the remaining action item...” he said.
WASHINGTON: The US has urged Pakistan to continue working with Paris-based antiterror watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in order to “swiftly complete” its 27-point action plan by showing that probes and prosecutions are properly targeting leaders of UN-designated terror groups.
At its virtual plenary meeting last month, the FATF retained Pakistan on its “grey list” for failing to check money laundering, leading to terror financing.
It asked Pakistan to investigate and prosecute UN-designated terrorists based in the country such as Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed.
The global body against money laundering and terror financing also asked Pakistan to work to address its strategically important deficiencies.
US state department spokesperson Ned Price said that while Pakistan had made progress on its first action plan of the FATF, it needed to work on its second action plan.
“We do recognise and we support Pakistan’s continued efforts to satisfy those (first action plan) obligations. Pakistan has made significant progress on its first action plan with 26 of 27 action items largely addressed,” Price said.
“We encourage Pakistan to continue working with the FATF and the international community to swiftly complete the remaining action item by demonstrating that terrorism financing, investigations and prosecutions target senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated groups,” he said.
The UN-designated terrorists based in Pakistan include JeM chief Azhar, LeT founder Saeed and its operational commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. Azhar, Saeed and Lakhvi are the most wanted terrorists in India for their involvement in numerous terrorist acts, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and a deadly bombing of an army bus in Kashmir in 2019.
Price said the US encourages Pakistan to expeditiously work on its new second action plan. The Pakistan government has been on the FATF’s “grey list” since June 2018.