As FATF fear looms over Pakistan, Imran Khan arrives in China

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in China on Tuesday morning for an official visit ahe of Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) meeting, that could potentially le to his country being placed on Black List. He was received by China’s Minister of Culture, Luo Shugang, Chinese envoy to Pakistan Yao Jing and Pakistan’s ambassor to China Naghmana Hashmi. He would eng with various stakeholders on issues of regional and bilateral importance such as Kashmir issue and China Pakistan Ecomic Corridor (CPEC). Khan will hold separate meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his counterpart Li Keqiang. Pakistani delegation includes Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Railway Minister Sheikh Rasheed, Minister for Planning Khusro Bhaktiar and Finance visor Hafeez Shaikh.  

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Army Chief to play a leing role 

This will be Pakistani premier’s third visit to China since assuming office in August 2018. This comes at a juncture when country’s ecomy is in a dire condition. Moreover, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Qamar Bajwa has alrey reached China for talks with nation’s military leership. According to military spokesperson, he will accompany Khan for his meetings with Chinese President and PM. This does t come across as a surprise as Bajwa has engd with world leers even in past. However, this visit is significant due to a couple of reasons. First, most of CPEC projects have been stalled due to prevailing fear among Pakistan’s bureaucracy of action being taken by National Accountability Bureau. or big concern for India’s western neighbour is to avoid being placed on  Black List. Furrmore, Chinese President will soon depart for a visit to Nepal and India. 

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FATF fear 

meeting of FATF will take place from October 13 to October 18. Islamab has tried to lobby hard with China, which holds presidency of FATF this year. In June 2018, FATF h placed Pakistan in Gray List, giving it a period of 15 months to fulfil a 27-point nda. Due to its failure to stem terror financing, Asia Pacific Group- a body of FATF placed it on Enhanced Follow Up List in August 2019. It failed on 30 out of total 40 parameters. Judged as low as 10 on 11 effectiveness parameters, Pakistan has been in dock for supporting terrorist outfits such as 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s Lashkar-e-Taiba, Masood Azhar’s Jaish-e-Mohammed, Haqqani network, etc.  

(With ANI inputs)

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