Hina Rabbani Khar acknowledges AIG South Punjab's contributions to FATF whitelisting

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar has written a letter to Additional Inspector General (AIG) South Punjab Ehsan Sadiq to appreciate his services that led to the whitelisting of Pakistan by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Hina Rabbani Khar wrote the appreciation letter to AIG South Punjab Ehsan Sadiq as the chairperson of Pakistan’s National FATF Coordination Committee.

She said that AIG Sadiq’s role was commendable – as the additional director-general (ADG) Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for ‘completing two challenging action plans, preparation of Post Observation Period Report (POPR) and Follow-Up Reports (FURs) and in realising a high degree of technical compliance by Pakistan with FATF standards is commendable.’

The letter read, “Your professionalism and dedication as an active member of Pakistan’s FATF team were instrumental for meeting all the targets that eventually led to Pakistan’s exit from FATP’s Grey List in October 2022, after 52 months of rigorous and unprecedented scrutiny.”

Pakistan’s delisting by FATF has strengthened country’s international credentials and raised our diplomatic profile thus creating a conducive environment for our further integration with international financial system, said Khar.

She stated, “Your invaluable experience and expertise would remain vital assets for Pakistan’s AML/CFT systems and I hope that in future you would continue to employ your skills in this critical area for country’s best interests. Wishing you success in your future endeavors and pursuits,” she concluded.

In October, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had announced the removal of Pakistan from its grey list, appreciating the country’s efforts in anti-money-laundering and anti-terror financing.

The Financial Action Task Force had decided by consensus that Pakistan completed all substantial, technical and procedural requirements of both the 2018 and 2021 Action Plans. As a result, Pakistan was taken off the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, with immediate effect.