ISLAMABAD: A delegation of F
inancial Action Task Force (FATF) has urged Pakistan to tighten its anti-terror f
inancing laws to combat money laundering, and terror f
inancing.
FATF placed Pakistan on the grey list in June, and the Asia Pacific Group (APG) on money laundering will submit a report to FATF to see developments in Pakistan.
The APG delegation, which is currently in Pakistan, urged Pakistan to enforce laws that allow for foreign governments to freeze assets, and make extraditions.
The delegations met with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Interior.
The report prepared by APG may play a role in removing Pakistan of the grey list. Pakistan must, according to FATF, comply with a ten point action plan by next September.
The ten points are:
1) Demonstr
ating that terrorist f
inancing risks are properly identified, assessed, and that supervision is applied on a risk-sensitive basis
2) Demonstr
ating that remedial actions and sanctions are applied in cases of AML/CFT violations, and that these actions have an effect on AML/CFT compliance by f
inancial institutions
3) Demonstr
ating that competent authorities are cooper
ating and taking action to identify and take enforcement action against illegal money or value transfer
services (MVTS)
4) Demonstr
ating that authorities are identifying ca
sh couriers and enforcing controls on illicit movement of currency and understanding the risk of ca
sh couriers being used for terrorist f
inancing
5) Improving inter-agency coordination, including between provincial and federal authorities, on comb
ating terrorist f
inancing risks
6) Demonstr
ating that law enforcement agencies (LEAs) are identifying and investig
ating the widest range of terrorist f
inancing activity and that terrorist f
inancing investigations and prosecutions target designated persons and entities, and persons and entities acting on behalf or at the direction of the designated persons or entities
7) Demonstr
ating that terrorist f
inancing prosecutions result in effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions and enhancing the capacity and support for prosecutors and the judiciary
8) Demonstr
ating effective implementation of targeted f
inancial sanctions against all 1267 and 1373 designated terrorists and those acting for or on their behalf, including preventing t
he raising and moving of funds, identifying and freezing assets (movable and immovable), and prohibiting access to funds and f
inancial
services
9) Demonstr
ating enforcement against targeted f
inancial sanctions violations including administrative and criminal penalties and provincial and federal authorities cooper
ating on enforcement cases
10) Demonstr
ating that facilities and
services owned or controlled by designated persons are deprived of their resources and the usage of the resources.
READ MORE: FATF’s big grey list and Pakistan’s fate