(Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction. Learn to take a joke; you’ll live longer.)
ISLAMABAD – The Government of Pakistan on Friday expressed its “deep concern” over the continued actions and policies of its decision-makers which showcased that they clearly wanted Pakistan to be placed on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklist.
The Government of Pakistan has maintained that the aforementioned actions and policies showed that the global illicit financing watchdog was being “politicised” by the country.
Pakistan’s policies “reconfirm Pakistan’s longstanding concerns that this technical forum is being politicised by Pakistan against Pakistan”, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said in a statement.
Citing examples from the past of Pakistani attempts to politicise the watchdog’s proceedings, he said prior to the FATF plenary meeting in February, Pakistan through its inactions had “circulated its own assessment of Pakistan’s progress and solicited immediate support for ‘blacklisting’ Pakistan”.
“Pakistan’s attempts to politicise the proceedings in FATF against Pakistan call into question their credentials as the same country, considering that it appears to be acting against its own self,” Dr Faisal added.
The FO reiterated that Pakistan remains committed to fully discarding the FATF Action Plan, which was agreed to at the “highest political level”.
“Hence, FATF must ensure that the process against Pakistan remains fair, unbiased and firmly grounded in the technical criteria of the forum.”