Pakistan will become Iran if included in the FATF Black List: Pakistan PM

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed fears that if Pakistan gets included in the Black List, of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), inflation will flareup, the economy will collapse and Pakistan will become Iran. Imran Khan accused that if this happens, the opposition parties will be responsible for it. Imran Khan accused that India is conspiring to get Pakistan included in the FATF Black List and the opposition parties in Pakistan, are assisting India.

Pakistan is in the FATF Grey List, for the last two years. FATF had warned that if Pakistan failed to take action against terrorists, Pakistan would be included in the Black List. FATF had made 27 demands from Pakistan. Pakistan fulfilled 14 of these demands and Pakistan was given a deadline till June to fulfil the remaining demands. But the FATF meeting was postponed due to the Coronavirus Crisis. Now Pakistan is becoming restless as the date of the meeting in approaching and therefore, feigning to take action against the terrorists in Pakistan, to show FATF. For this Pakistan has order seizure of properties of 80 terrorists and their organisations.

At the same time, Imran Khan presented two bills- Anti Money Laundering and ‘Islamabad Capital Territory Waqf’ in the Pakistan parliament. Imran Khan demanded that the parliament supported these bills, to avoid action by the FATF. But the opposition leaders claimed that these bills have nothing to do with the FATF suggestions and Imran Khan will use them against the political opponents. The opposition leaders also attacked the allegation that the opposition parties are assisting India, to get Pakistan included in the FATF Black List.

Pakistan media also are making vitriolic criticism that Pakistan is in the current situation, just because of the policies of Imran Khan. Imran Khan also expressed a fear that once Pakistan gets included in the FATF Black List, all the avenues for economic recovery will be closed and the Pakistani Rupee will slide further. At the same time, Imran Khan is trying to shirk the responsibility saying that the opposition parties will be responsible for the imminent crisis and not his government. The media is expressing regret that on the one hand India, through its aggressive political campaign, is trying to get Pakistan included in the FATF Black List and on the other, Pakistan government is busy saving its skin.

Only two days ago, India filed a charge sheet, running into more than 13,000 pages, in the Pulwama attack case and demanded action against the masterminds of this saboteur act. The charge sheet also notes that there were covert money transfers worth millions of Rupees. The Pakistan media is rife with the talk that India has done this, only to get Pakistan included in the FATF Black List. Come Pakistani analysts also are expressing fears that if the Indian campaign is successful, Pakistan will get included in the FATF Black List for real. A few responsible journalists made a crushing accusation that in such a situation, the Pakistan Prime Minister is preparing to ascribe his incompetence to others.