Paris: In yet another major setback, Pakistan on Friday failed to get off the ‘grey list’ of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog for terror-funding and money laundering.
The Imran Khan-led government lost Pakistan’s bid at the FATF because of its failure to comply with the requirements of the Paris-based watchdog. Pakistan, already facing severe economic and financial crisis, has been in the grey list since 2018.
Being in the grey list makes it difficult for the already debt-ridden Islamic Republic to get financial aid from international agencies.
India has been persistently protesting against Pakistan’s continued cross-border terrorism in Kashmir and its inaction against the mastermind and planners of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
The banned terror outfits, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, and their chiefs Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar and Syed Salahuddin, continue to get state patronage and protection in Pakistan.
A report of the United Nations Security Council released earlier this year said the three terror groups are collaborating with Al Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan.
India on Thursday had strongly recommended that Pakistan, which continues to provide safe havens to the banned terror groups, should continue on the grey list.
On Friday, after concluding its three-day virtual plenary session, the FATF decided to keep Pakistan in its grey list. Sources said Pakistan had failed to comply with at least six of the 27 points in the FATF’s action plan.