Pakistan unlikely to escape FATF grey list despite lobbying efforts: Afghan MP

An Afghan lawmaker said that Pakistan won’t be able to escape the grey list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) despite hiring American lobbying firms to find a way out. In an opinion piece for The Diplomat, Mariam Solaimankhail, a member of Afghanistan parliament, said that Pakistan will not be able to escape the grey list, adding that it is not enough to curb the money flow into terrorism.

"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,” wrote Solaimankhail.

The FATF placed Pakistan on its grey list in June 2018 and called for the implementation of a 27-point plan of action to curb money laundering and terror financing by the end of 2019. The deadline was later extended due to coronavirus pandemic. The terror financing watchdog is holding a three-day virtual plenary session from October 21-23, where it will review Pakistan's progress on the action plan. 

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As per the FATF rules, Pakistan must meet at least 13 of the 27 parameters laid down by the global watchdog to come out of the grey list. The Pakistani government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, is believed to be relying on lobbying firms to find a way out of the grey list. 

According to media reports, Texas-based Linden Strategies has been hired by Islamabad to lobby with the Donald Trump administration. Linden Strategies calls itself a "government relations and business development firm providing strategic analysis and advisory to domestic and international clients, including sovereign nations”. 

Enhanced Follow-up List

Pakistan requires the support of at least 12 out of 39 member states to remove it from the grey list and the US’ approach could influence the voting. Early this month, the FATF's Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering kept Pakistan on "Enhanced Follow-up List" for its slow progress on the technical recommendations of the FATF to fight terror financing. 

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(With ANI inputs)