(15 March, 2019)
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President AKIA, Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Friday said that Financial Action Task Force is an International Organization that measures against money laundering and terror financing around the world and on that basis it includes different Countries to a Green, Gray or Blacklist. Chairperson of Senate Standing Committee for Interior, Rehman Malik requested with the FATF to inquire against India on which the FATF responded that the inquiry against a Country is outside their mandate which is totally wrong.
On the American complaint against Pakistan FATF added Pakistan to a Grey list, while Pakistan has requested the inquiry against India with concrete evidence has been rejected, which is quite sufficient to expose the dual policy and political objectives of the International Organization.
Mian Zahid Hussain told the Business Community that India is Co-Chair of the inquiry committee made against Pakistan and is wrongly using its position to mislead FATF for getting Pakistan blacklisted. Finance Minister Asad Umer has adopted this stand in demanding to remove India from Co-Chair ship of the inquiry committee against Pakistan, saying that India is taking an advantage of its position to prevent Pakistan from Economic growth because of its Pakistan’s rivalry. India is engaged in conspiracies and lobbying against Pakistan Internationally. The International community should take notice of using the FATF against Pakistan and play its role to foil the political stunt against Pakistan.
The veteran business leader said that sacrifices of Pakistan against terrorism are not hidden from anyone. Pakistan had lost more than 50,000 citizens, including 6 thousand military officials and an economic loss of $130 Billion in the war against terrorism, which has acknowledged worldwide. In order to prevent money laundering and terror financing Pakistani institutions including FBR, State Bank and FIA took major actions and let FATF know the positive results of them from time to time. Since 2015, more than 4000 suspicious transactions have been halted, out of which 1200 means 32 percent have been stopped in 2018 alone, which is a huge success and further measures are also being taken rapidly.
The former Minister expressed that Pakistan needs to take more steps to strengthen political and diplomatic links internationally. All the resources and capabilities to be used to attract international support in Pakistan’s favor and to stop India from using the neutral international forum of FATF against Pakistan as well as the practical implementation of the recommendations of FATF to ensure that the conspiracy of blacklisting Pakistan could be destroyed.
