Indian lies and propaganda rejected by Pakistan

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi talking to a local TV channel rebuffed the reports in Indian media that APG placed Pakistan on the black list, and asked the international community to take notice of Indian propaganda and fake news. FATF spokesperson Alexandra Wijmenga-Danial clarified that only the FATF had the authority to blacklist, not its regional affiliate APG; and any decision would be announced after holding its meeting on October 14-18 in Paris. According to Ministry of Pakistan Finance Ministry’s statement, “in its annual meeting in Australia, APG adopted Pakistan’s 3rd Mutual Evaluation Report and has put Pakistan in its enhanced follow-up as per APG’s Third Round Mutual Evaluation Procedures”. In line with APG’s Third Round Mutual Evaluation Procedures, Pakistan would be required to submit follow-up progress reports to APG on quarterly basis.
FATF’s Asia Pacific Group (APG) members expressed their satisfaction over Pakistan’s measures vis-à-vis legislation being made, rules being improved and actions taken against banned outfits. It also referred to revision in risk assessments of all corporate and non-corporate manuals, entities and outfits, and also strict implementation of laws for curbing money laundering. Meeting was told about Pakistan’s legislation, including imposition of heavy fines and sentences for convicts in combating money laundering. The members were told that all travelers within Pakistan have been forbidden from carrying more than $10,000 under the new rules except with the permission from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The amendments in foreign exchange regulation laws (FERA) to restrict domestic movement of currency beyond a certain limit are viewed by Pakistani officials as a key development to curb the practice of Hawala/ Hundi and other forms of illegal foreign exchange transactions.
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Amendments to FERA law through its section 23 enhanced punishments making it a cognizable offence and gave powers to the FIA to take prompt action against illegal foreign exchange operators. The law enforcement agencies have taken actions in recent months against proscribed organizations such as Haqqani Network, Jamaatud Dawa and other banned outfits. A supervisory framework and mechanism has also been put in place to ensure effective coordination mechanism across the chain of agencies, organizations and regulators at federal and provincial levels through dedicated focal persons. The APG will review the MER and present its report to the FATF next month. On the basis of the APG report, the FATF will make a decision in October whether to remove Pakistan from its grey list or keep it there. In June, the FATF had given Pakistan four months (till October) to improve its “counter-terrorist financing” operations in accordance with the agreed plan.
Reportedly, Indian lobby’s conspiracy in the FATF’s APG for downgrading Pakistan to the blacklist failed as APG member countries were satisfied following examination of the analytical report. Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance on Friday rejected media reports claiming that Pakistan was blacklisted by the Asia-Pacific Group (APG), the regional affiliate of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The ministry in a statement said that media reports being circulated about Pakistan being blacklisted were “incorrect and baseless”. Pakistani officials said that the proposed laws’ clearance by parliamentary committees had been welcomed but would need approval by the parliament for implementation before the October 18-23 final review. And there would be no problem in getting the approval by the Parliament.