Pakistan has been removed from FATF 'Grey List' (File)
Pakistan has been forced to take some action against terrorists, including those involved in the Mumbai 26/11 attacks, India said today after the global anti-terror financing watchdog FATF removed the neighbouring country from its terror 'Grey List'.Here's your 10-point cheatsheet to this big story:
India, however, reminded the global community that it is in their interest that Pakistan must continue to take credible action against terrorism and terror financing on its soil.
The decision to remove Pakistan from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) 'Grey List' was taken at the end of a two-day meeting in Paris, FATF President T Raja Kumar told reporters today.
"Pakistan had addressed technical deficiencies to meet the commitments of its action plans regarding strategic deficiencies that the FATF identified in June 2018 and June 2021," Mr Kumar said.
In response, India said it understands that Pakistan will continue to work with the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering to further improve its anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing system.
"As a result of FATF scrutiny, Pakistan has been forced to take some action against well-known terrorists, including those involved in attacks against the entire international community in Mumbai on 26/11," India's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.
"It is in global interest that the world remains clear that Pakistan must continue to take credible, verifiable, irreversible and sustained action against terrorism and terrorist financing emanating from territories under its control," Mr Bagchi said.
In a meeting in June, the FATF had said it was keeping Pakistan on the "Grey List", but said it might be removed after an on-site visit to verify progress.
Pakistan was listed in 2018 because of "strategic counter-terrorist financing-related deficiencies". A further FATF blacklist meant the country concerned is "non-cooperative" in the global fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.
If the FATF blacklists any nation, it may lead to downgrading of the country by lenders like International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and European Union.
India, one of 39 members of the FATF that includes the UK and the US, says Pakistan has been giving shelter to terrorists and funding them despite the matter being raised on international platforms, such as the UN.
