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Pakistan Faces Risk of Being Added to FATF ‘Black List’: Report

Pakistan might be pushed into the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “black list” next month as it continues to finance and tolerate terrorist organizations and their activities despite the October 2020 warning, Greek City Times reported.

The report says that terrorist organizations, such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM), continue to operate with impunity in Pakistan.

The FATF grey list is a list of countries that the organization considers non-cooperative in the global effort to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

Quoted by Greek City Times, FATF president Marcus Pleyer said during October’s review that there were “very serious deficiencies” in Pakistan’s efforts to counter terrorist financing and gave the country until the February 19-21 Plenary to resolve these issues as they cannot wait “forever.”

“As long as we see that the country is progressing with the action items, and we have seen progress with Pakistan, we give them a chance to repair the outstanding issues, but we don’t do this forever,” Pleyer said as quoted by Greek City Times.

FATF was established in 1989 as a global watchdog and intergovernmental organization to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.

The report says that although Pakistani decisionmakers in the capital of Islamabad are attempting to portray themselves as curbing financing to terrorist organizations, the FATF are far from convinced.

“As all action plan deadlines have expired, the FATF strongly urges Pakistan to swiftly complete its full action plan by February 2021,” FATF said on October 23.

“Pakistan should continue to work on implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies,” the FATF added.

Although Pakistan is only on a grey list, it risks being pushed into the black list if it does not fulfill its commitments to curb terrorism financing, and even if it does fulfill its obligations, FATF will remain suspicious and an on-sight inspection will take place, the report says.

“After that on-site visit, the next plenary will then decide whether Pakistan has indeed fully and effectively completed the action plan and then there is a decision on whether Pakistan would leave the grey list or not,” Pleyer said as quoted by Greek City Times.

A video of Jamaat-ud-Dawa’s (JuD) Central Leader, Convener Tehreek Hurmat-e-Rasool, and Chief Editor of ‘Weekly Jarrar’, Amir Hamza, emerged of them addressing the “Tahaffuz Hurmat-e-Rasool Conference” (Conference of Protection of the Sanctity of Prophet Muhammad) at Muridke in the Punjab on October 29, 2020, the Greek City Times report says.

The Greek City Times explains in its report that in his addresses, Hamza praised the Chechen teenager that beheaded school teacher Samuel Paty in France on October 16. This was because Paty showed a cartoon depiction of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, the report says.

The Greek City Times adds that in another example, a banner was found that was advertising the “Seerat Imam Azam Muhammad Rasoolullah Conference” (Conference on Life of Prophet Muhammad), which was held at the Jamia Masjid Salman Farsi in Abdul Rehman Town in the Punjab on November 12, 2020. 

The FATF extended the June deadline to September due to the spread of the coronavirus that disrupted its plenary meetings.

Pakistan was placed on the FATF grey list in 2018.

Pakistan Faces Risk of Being Added to FATF ‘Black List’: Report

Terrorist organizations, such as JuD and JeM, continue to operate with impunity in Pakistan.

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Pakistan might be pushed into the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “black list” next month as it continues to finance and tolerate terrorist organizations and their activities despite the October 2020 warning, Greek City Times reported.

The report says that terrorist organizations, such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM), continue to operate with impunity in Pakistan.

The FATF grey list is a list of countries that the organization considers non-cooperative in the global effort to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

Quoted by Greek City Times, FATF president Marcus Pleyer said during October’s review that there were “very serious deficiencies” in Pakistan’s efforts to counter terrorist financing and gave the country until the February 19-21 Plenary to resolve these issues as they cannot wait “forever.”

“As long as we see that the country is progressing with the action items, and we have seen progress with Pakistan, we give them a chance to repair the outstanding issues, but we don’t do this forever,” Pleyer said as quoted by Greek City Times.

FATF was established in 1989 as a global watchdog and intergovernmental organization to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.

The report says that although Pakistani decisionmakers in the capital of Islamabad are attempting to portray themselves as curbing financing to terrorist organizations, the FATF are far from convinced.

“As all action plan deadlines have expired, the FATF strongly urges Pakistan to swiftly complete its full action plan by February 2021,” FATF said on October 23.

“Pakistan should continue to work on implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies,” the FATF added.

Although Pakistan is only on a grey list, it risks being pushed into the black list if it does not fulfill its commitments to curb terrorism financing, and even if it does fulfill its obligations, FATF will remain suspicious and an on-sight inspection will take place, the report says.

“After that on-site visit, the next plenary will then decide whether Pakistan has indeed fully and effectively completed the action plan and then there is a decision on whether Pakistan would leave the grey list or not,” Pleyer said as quoted by Greek City Times.

A video of Jamaat-ud-Dawa’s (JuD) Central Leader, Convener Tehreek Hurmat-e-Rasool, and Chief Editor of ‘Weekly Jarrar’, Amir Hamza, emerged of them addressing the “Tahaffuz Hurmat-e-Rasool Conference” (Conference of Protection of the Sanctity of Prophet Muhammad) at Muridke in the Punjab on October 29, 2020, the Greek City Times report says.

The Greek City Times explains in its report that in his addresses, Hamza praised the Chechen teenager that beheaded school teacher Samuel Paty in France on October 16. This was because Paty showed a cartoon depiction of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, the report says.

The Greek City Times adds that in another example, a banner was found that was advertising the “Seerat Imam Azam Muhammad Rasoolullah Conference” (Conference on Life of Prophet Muhammad), which was held at the Jamia Masjid Salman Farsi in Abdul Rehman Town in the Punjab on November 12, 2020. 

The FATF extended the June deadline to September due to the spread of the coronavirus that disrupted its plenary meetings.

Pakistan was placed on the FATF grey list in 2018.

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