Afghanistan lawmaker says Pakistan will not be able to escape FATF grey list

Mariam Solaimankhail, a member of Afghanistan parliament, said in her opinion piece published in The Diplomat: "But Pakistan has fallen woefully short on enactments. According to the FATF norms, Pakistan must meet at least 13 of the 27 parameters laid down by the [terror financing] watchdog to come out of the 'grey list'."

"While it may have gotten the three votes — China, Turkey, and Malaysia – needed to escape the black list, it would also need approval from 12 out of the FATF’s 39 members to exit the “grey list,” which it has not been able to get so far," she said.

"Despite high-level diplomacy and hiring a top lobbying firm and offering its leverage with the Taliban to the U.S. for reduction of violence in Afghanistan, Pakistan will not be able to escape the grey list this time. But that is simply not enough," the Afghanistan lawmaker said.

FATF and Pakistan:

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.

The inter-governmental body sets international standards that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the harm they cause to society, read the official website.

As a policy-making body, the FATF works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas.

FATF placed Pakistan in the grey list in June 2018 and asked for compliance of 27 action plans to come out from the scrutiny list until Sept 2019.

Pakistan has so far been given three times extension of three months, every time to comply with 27 action points, The News International reported.

Out of 27 points, the FATF had declared Pakistan fully compliant on 14 points and now there is the deadline of October 2020 for complying with the remaining 13 points, reported the Pakistani newspaper.