While Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Claims ‘Victory’ On Twitter, FATF Puts It On Terror Financing Watchlist

Two days after Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif claimed on Twitter that his country had managed to steer clear of being grey listed over terror financing, the Financial Action Task Force has decided to put it on the watchlist.

Asif, who was in Moscow at the time, had tweeted:

The 37-member organisation, established in 1989 to monitor money laundering and terrorist financing, has put Pakistan on the list after its all-weather friend China withdrew its objection. Other than China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia had not supported the move initially, media reports in Pakistani said.

Pakistan had made last minute moves to avoid being greyisted by the task force. It had quietly amended its Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 to include groups and individuals proscribed by the United Nations.

The United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom had co-nominated Pakistan for grey listing. Pakistan was on the grey list from 2012 to 2015.