New Delhi: – Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has decided to retain Pakistan in the Grey List. FATF President, Dr Marcus Pleyer, announced this decision, saying that Pakistan has not still taken any substantive action to block the funding of the terrorist organisations. FATF had warned that Pakistan needed to fulfil 27 criteria to get itself out of the Grey List. FATF accused that Pakistan has not worked on six of these criteria. These six objections include issues of actions not taken against Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar, Jamat-Ul-Dawa Chief Hafeez Saeed and Zakiur Rehman Lahkwi.
FATF has been established to take stern action against countries, avoiding to block terror funding channels. The countries avoiding this are included in the FATF Black List. Such countries are denied loans by the World Bank, Asia Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The countries in the Black List have many restrictions on trade as well. As of now, the crisis seems to have been averted for Pakistan, as it has still survived in the Grey List. Announcement has been made that the decision regarding Pakistan’s fate. Also, the decision to include it in the Black List will be taken in the meeting of FATF to be held in June.
Pakistan media are rejoicing that India failed to get Pakistan included in the Black List. One of the cabinet members claimed that the country cannot be included in the Black List. But some of the journalists have warned that Pakistan is still retained in the Grey List, which is a serious matter. These journalists have also warned that Pakistan cannot avoid the action by the FATF, without taking action against the ringleaders of the terrorist organisations.
The Pakistan Supreme Court recently decided to release the killers of US journalist Daniel Pearl. The Pakistan President has invited the wrath of France with comments on certain decisions taken by a country like France regarding its internal security. Pakistan has filed minor charges against the terrorists like Masood Azhar, Hafeez Saeed and Zakiur Rehman Lahkwi. Pakistan tried to create the façade that action has been started against these people, putting them behind bars for these petty crimes. But the message that the international community and FATF is not impressed with this, has been delivered to Pakistan.
Pakistan will have to take some stern actions against the terrorists to change a country’s image supporting terrorists. Some responsible Pakistani journalists are warning that if the Pakistan government does not show the grit to dismantle this resistance, the country will have to face the backlash.
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