Senator warns against Pakistan being placed on terror watch-list

–Calls for concrete action to match promises with the situation on ground

ISLAMABAD: Senator Farhatullah Babar on Wednesday warned against Pakistan being put on the watch-list as a country deemed noncompliant with terror-financing regulations of the UN which would deal a huge blow to the country’s economy and called for the sincerity of purpose in matching the promises with the ground reality.

Speaking on an issue of public importance in the Senate, he said that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will meet in Paris early next week.

He said that the Paris meeting will consider Pakistan’s compliance status with international regulations to choke financing infrastructure of terror organisations and will also consider a motion to place Pakistan on the terror-financing watch-list already moved by the US and some other European countries.

Expressing skepticism, he said that four days ago the President promulgated an ordinance amending the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 so as to bring individuals and organisations listed by the UN Security Council in its ambit. It was followed by Cabinet’s approval to the new Anti-Terrorism (Freezing and Seizure) Rules 2018, he added.

He further said that these were positive moves but the fact that the Ordinance had not been brought before the Parliament, as required under the Constitution and the law, has raised some serious doubts about the intent of the move.

“We must be sincere in honoring the pledges we make because in the past we made promises but did not follow up on them, prompting allegations of huge gap between pledges made and the ground reality,” he said, “We must realise that the situation has changed and it is no longer possible to sidestep delivering on promises.”

Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani also deplored that the ordinance issued by the President had not been placed before the Parliament.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Rana Afzal said that Pakistan has prepared its reply to submit to FATF.

He said that the US and UK forced the other countries to join the motion because there was a conspiracy going on against Pakistan.

He further that being put on the watch-list would hurt Pakistan’s economy badly as it would make it harder for foreign investors to invest in Pakistan.

Earlier, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance Miftah Ismail said that Pakistan was working with the international community for the nomination to be withdrawn.

“We are now working with the US, UK, Germany and France for the nomination to be withdrawn,” he said, “We are also quite hopeful that even if the US did not withdraw the nomination that we will prevail and not be put on the watchlist.”

On Tuesday, the United States put forward a motion to place Pakistan on a global terrorist-financing watch-list with an anti-money laundering monitoring group.