Daily Times
July 1, 2021
It’s been a roller-coaster ride for Pakistan since it was put on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in 2018. The first time the country found itself there was back in 2008 and then again in 2012. Pakistan has fought tooth-and-nail to fulfil all 27 parameters required by the organisation. It was able to comply with all but one. The global financial watchdog also slapped Islamabad with 6-pointer supplementary guidelines.
Pakistan, the FATF judged, still needs to do more to curb financing of those groups that the UN Security Council designates terror outfits; as well prosecuting and convicting banned persons; and combating drugs and precious stone smuggling until the most recent evaluation. Islamabad has, however, taken action such as prosecuting Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) head Hafiz Saeed and his accomplices. The discriminatory approach of international organisations is a way to build political and economic pressure on Pakistan.