Home Latest News India’s Foreign Minister has ‘Confessed’ to Politicizing FATF: Foreign Office

India’s Foreign Minister has ‘Confessed’ to Politicizing FATF: Foreign Office

by Staff Report
Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri

Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri. Courtesy Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In statement, spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri condemns Delhi’s ‘duplicitous’ role and reaffirms commitment to international obligations

Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Monday said a recent statement by the Indian External Affairs minister on Delhi’s role in Islamabad’s grey-listing by the Financial Action Task Force had exposed its “true colors,” and vindicated Islamabad’s stance on it playing a negative role in the terror financing watchdog.

“Pakistan has always been highlighting to the international community the politicization of FATF and undermining of its processes by India,” read a statement issued by spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri. “The recent Indian statement is just further corroboration of its continued efforts to use an important technical forum for its narrow political designs against Pakistan. While Pakistan has been sincerely and constructively engaged with FATF during the implementation of the Action Plan, India has left no stone unturned in casting doubts on Pakistan’s progress through disgraceful means,” he added.

On Sunday, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar credited the Narendra Modi-led government for its “efforts” toward ensuring Pakistan remained on the FATF’s grey-list. Addressing a training program for Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on the foreign policy of the Indian government, he reportedly said this was intended to “pressure” Pakistan.

“Due to us, Pakistan is under the lens of FATF and it was kept [on] the grey list. We have been successful in pressurizing Pakistan and the fact that Pakistan’s behavior has changed is because of pressure put by India by various measures. Also terrorists from LeT [Lashkar-e-Taiba] and Jaish [-e-Mohammad], India’s efforts through U.N., have come under sanctions,” he said.

Stressing that this statement had exposed India’s “true colors” and vindicated Pakistan’s “longstanding stance on India’s negative role on FATF,” Chaudhri said Islamabad had been continuously revealing Delhi’s duplicity to the international community. “Pakistan is also considering approaching [the] FATF President for an appropriate action in this matter. Following the recent confession by Indian Government, India’s credentials for assessing Pakistan in FATF as co-chair of the Joint Group or for that matter any other country are subject to questions, which we urge FATF to look into,” he said.

Noting that Pakistan had shown great progress in countering terror financing and money-laundering through “concrete, tangible and verifiable actions,” the spokesperson said Islamabad would continue to abide by international commitments. “We are resolved to sustain this momentum and trajectory with the support and cooperation of our international partners. India’s delusions of putting pressure on Pakistan have always remained unfulfilled and would never see the light of day,” he added.

“Despite distractions including politicization of FATF processes by certain jurisdictions, Pakistan re-affirms its commitment to bring its AML/CFT systems to international standards for its own good and also to fulfill its international obligations and commitments,” the statement concluded.

On June 25, the FATF announced that while it recognized Pakistan’s progress and efforts to address the items on an Action Plan to combat terror financing, it still had one remaining point that needed to be resolved for the country to be removed from the grey-list. It also issued a new list of six anti-money laundering aspects that needed correction.

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