ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Senator Rehman Malik has expressed serious concerns on the decision of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) wherein Pakistan has been added to the so-called ‘grey list’ of the countries involved in providing monetary assistance to terrorism and related causes.
In a statement issued on Thursday, he asked the member countries of the Financial Action Task Force to review the decision and he also asked the government to ensure implementation of the action plan shared with the task force. “Government must take the adequate measures acceptable to FATF that country could be removed from the ‘grey-list’ before its adverse impacts,” he said.
Rehman Malik, a former interior minister, said that the previous government of the Pakistan Muslim League-N neither could stop construction of the controversial Kishanganga Dam nor could averted the so-called grey list of the Financial Action Task Force. He said that the grey-listing would adversely affect Pakistan’s economy and would make it harder for them to meet rising foreign financing needs, including future borrowings from the International Monetary Fund.
He said that it would directly impact import, export and mobility as it was like unannounced international embargo saddening every Pakistani. He said that the West duly aided by India has been able to add Pakistan in FATF’s ‘grey list’ through a pre-planned conspiracy against Pakistan which was earlier reflected by the controversial statements of US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said that despite of numerous sacrifices in war against terrorism, Pakistan was being blamed for monetary assistance to terrorism while they were continuously fighting war against terrorism. He said that such moves by international watchdog were highly condemnable and should be reviewed.
He said that Pakistan volunteered to be part of war against terrorism and has been extending full support to its partners in this war against terrorism yet rather it should be supported, they abated Indian’s conspiracy against Pakistan. He said that such moves would certainly sabotage efforts to counter terrorism as Pakistan’ sufferings in this war were already highest and more than any country of the world.
