India trying to push Pakistan into FATF blacklist: FM Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi here on Monday said that India was trying to blacklist Pakistan in Financial Action Task Force (FATF), ARY News reported.

Talking to journalists, FM Qureshi said that Pakistan has mad sincere efforts to fulfill the requirements of FATF and hopped that the body will acknowledge the steps taken by Islamabad to improve counter terror financing regime.

He expressed satisfaction over Pakistan’s progress in Asia Pacific Group. Speaking on the occasion, the foreign minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan, during his meeting with United States (US) President Donald Trump, had sought US support over FATF. He said that US should back Pakistan over the issue.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan had strongly rejected the Indian Defense Minister’s comments that Financial Action Task Force (FATF) may blacklist Islamabad at any time.

In a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal had said the statement reinforces Pakistan’s concerns about India’s attempts to politicize the FATF proceedings to further its narrow partisan objectives.

He had said India’s incessant smear against Pakistan and blatant partisanship also call into question its credentials to be co-chair of the Asia-Pacific Joint Group that reviews Pakistan’s progress to implement the FATF Action Plan. “Our concerns in this regard have been previously brought to the attention of FATF members,” the spokesperson had added.