Minister asks FATF to remove India as co-chair

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has asked the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to remove India from the co-chair of a body that is reviewing progress on implementation of an action plan, in a development that is aimed at frustrating Indian tactics to get Islamabad blacklisted.

Finance Minister Asad Umar has asked the FATF President Marshall Billingslea to appoint any other member as co-chair of the Asia-pacific’s Joint Group, in place of India, to ensure that the FATF review process is fair, unbiased and objective.

The Joint Group is a sub-body of the International Co-operation Review Group (ICRG) of the Asia Pacific Group. Pakistan is a member of the APG and its case is being presented before the FATF by the APG. India’s Financial Intelligence Unit’s (FIU) director general is the co-chair of the Joint Group.

“India’s animosity towards Pakistan is well known and the recent violation of Pakistan’s airspace and dropping of bombs inside Pakistani territory is another manifestation of India’s hostile atitude,” wrote Umar while seeking removal of India.

He said Pakistan will also lobby with the friendly countries to get India removed from the co-chair of the Joint Group ater New Delhi abused its position in the last FATF meeting. “India submited a separate dossier against Pakistan that undermined the FATF’S neutrality.”

Umar said Pakistan would not boycot the FATF process but will use every available avenue to make sure that India no more politicises the global body. India was at the forefront to get Pakistan blacklisted during the FATF meeting.

Because of India’s move, the FATF did not express satisfaction on the implementation of the action plan. The global body that is working to curb terrorism financing and money laundering asked Pakistan to reassess the ranking of banned terrorist outfits.

In his leter, the finance minister referred to a statement regarding efforts for global isolation of Pakistan and Indian call for the blacklisting of Pakistan during the ICRG meeting on Feb.18, 2019, which demonstrated Indian intentions to hurt Pakistan’s economic interests.

The FATF has asked Pakistan to properly demonstrate that it has a beter understanding of risks posed by proscribed organisations.

The Joint Group meeting is scheduled to take place in May in Sri Lanka. Ater that, the FATF Plenary meeting will be held in the United States in June this year.