Pakistan rejects Indian defence minister’s FATF blacklisting claim

The Foreign Office has rejected the Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s claim that the Financial Action Task Force can any time blacklist Pakistan.

The Indian minister had made these remarks in New Delhi on October 1.

A statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday says that the Indian minister’s claim “reinforces Pakistan’s concerns, repeatedly highlighted to the FATF membership, about India’s attempts to politicise the FATF proceedings to further its narrow, partisan objectives.”

Pakistan also raised questions about India’s credentials to be co-chair of FATF’s Asia-Pacific Joint Group that reviews Pakistan’s progress to implement the FATF Action Plan given what ministry of foreign affairs calls “incessant smear against Pakistan and blatant partisanship.”

The statement also urged the FATF membership would take into consideration “India’s continuing malicious campaign against Pakistan and reject any attempt aimed at politicising the FATF proceedings.”

Earlier in September, Pakistani officials informed the FATF about the progress made with regard to the implementation of its action plan to strengthen the country’s anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism framework.

In July, the FATF urged “Pakistan to swiftly complete its action plan by October 2019 when the last set of action plan items are set to expire.”

The FATF will make a final decision on whether to exclude Pakistan from its grey list, keep it or place it on the blacklist at a meeting in Paris to be held from October 16 to October 18.