Pakistan retained on FATF 'grey list'

Paris [France], October 21 : Global financial watchdog FATF has retained Pakistan on its 'grey list'.
This decision was announced on Thursday at the conclusion of Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) three-day plenary to discuss key issues in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.
"Pakistan remains under increased monitoring (grey list). The Pakistan government has two concurrent action plans, with a total of 34 action plan items. It has now addressed or largely addressed 30 of the items," said FATF President Dr Marcus Pleyer.
Pakistan has been on the Paris-based FATF's grey list for deficiencies in its counter-terror financing and anti-money laundering regimes since June 2018.
In June this year, the country was given three months to fulfil the remaining conditions by October.
Pakistan was retained on the FATF 'grey list' for failing to effectively implement the global FATF standards and over its lack of progress on investigation and prosecution of senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups.
FATF President had said Pakistan will remain on the grey list till it addresses all items on the original action plan agreed to in June 2018 as well as all items on a parallel action plan handed out by the watchdog's regional partner - the Asia Pacific Group (APG) - in 2019.
Pleyer had noted that "Pakistan has made significant progress and it has largely addressed 26 out of 27 items on the action plan it first committed to in June 2018."
He, however, had added that the item on financial terrorism still needed to be addressed which concerned the "investigation and prosecution of senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups".
Pakistan opposition parties have continued to slam the Imran Khan government over its failure to get the country removed from the FATF grey list.