Setback for Imran govt: Pakistan took no action against Hafiz Saeed, says FATF

Islamabad: In a major setback for Pakistan, the Asia Pacific Group (APG) of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has concluded that Islamabad has not taken sufficient measures to fully implement UNSCR 1267 obligations against 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed and other individuals associated with LeT, JuD, FIF, among other terror groups.

In its latest report titled Mutual Evaluation Report of Pakistan, the APG has asked the country to "identify, assess and understand" its money laundering or terror financing risks, including the risks associated with terrorist groups operating in Pakistan such as Da'esh, al-Qaeda, Jama'at-ud-Da'wa (JuD), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), among other terror groups.

"Pakistan has not taken sufficient measures to fully implement UNSCR 1267 obligations against all listed individuals and entities - especially those associated with Lashkar-eTayyiba (LeT)/Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) as well as the groups'," the report read.

"Pakistan should adequately identify, assess and understand its ML (Money Laundering)/TF (Terror Financing) risks including transnational risks and risks associated with terrorist groups operating in Pakistan such as Da'esh, AQ, JuD, FiF, LeT, JeM, HQN, and this should be used to implement a comprehensive and coordinated risk-based approach to combating ML and TF," it states.

The observations are a major blow to Pakistan which faces the threat of being placed under the FATF's "blacklist". It may be recalled that Islamabad was placed by the international money laundering watchdog on its "grey list" in June 2018, and was given a 15-month dateline to implement its 27-point action plan.

With the dateline having ended in September, the FATF is expected to have a final review of the matter during its next meeting between 13 and 18 October in Paris.