اردو
  • US Bid To Put Pakistan On FATF Watch-list Fails: Khawaja Asif

    Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif File photo Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif

    Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said the United States (US) has failed in its bid to put Pakistan on the global terror financing watch-list as member states could not reach consensus during an ongoing Financial Action Task Force (FATF) conference in Paris.

    Undoubtedly, Pakistan has made determined efforts to avoid US unjustified bid to place the country on the global list of countries that finance terrorism.

    The countries officials made serious diplomatic approach to differ the bid, winning a last-minute reprieve at the Financial Action Task Force’s meeting.The announcement came from Foreign Minister Khwaja Asif as he tweeted early on Wednesday thanking ‘friends’ who helped Pakistan avoid a bid of major international embarrassment.

    Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif tweeted that the US has failed in its bid against Pakistan, adding that there was ‘no consensus on nominating Pakistan for the list’ and that he was ‘grateful to the friends who helped’ in the process.Asif said that Pakistan’s efforts have paid off, and the Paris conference has deferred voting for three months.

    Expressing gratitude at the decision, Asif said “our efforts paid [off]” and that the convening states agreed to “proposing 3months pause &asking APG for another report to b considered in June”.

    The FATF is working together with the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), which, as per its website, aims to ensure “that its members effectively implement the international standards against money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing related to weapons of mass destruction”.