Pakistan asks FATF to remove India as co-chair

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan on Saturday asked the president of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to remove India as co-chair of Asia-Pacific Joint Group, a regional associate of FATF, to ensure review process is “fair, unbiased and objective”.

Pakistan has conveyed its concerns to the President Marshall Billingslea through a letter sent by Asad Umar, Pakistan’s finance minister, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.

In June 2018, the FATF had placed Islamabad on its “grey list”. The move means the country will remain under direct FATF scrutiny until it gets satisfied by the measures taken to weed out terror financing and money laundering.

Last month, the FATF called on Islamabad to move quickly in implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies until May 2019.

“India's animosity towards Pakistan is well known and the recent violation of Pakistan's airspace and dropping of bombs inside Pakistani territory are another manifestation of India's hostile attitude," Umar said in his letter.

On Feb. 26, India claimed to have killed “several terrorists” in a “preemptive action” on a camp of Jaish-e-Muhammed inside Pakistani territory.

However, Islamabad denied there had been any casualties, saying Indian troops intruded into Pakistan’s airspace and dropped four bombs at empty forestland.

"We firmly believe that India's involvement in the ICRG [FATF’s International Co-operation Review Group] process will not be fair towards Pakistan," Umar said in the letter.

The minister assured the FATF president that his country remains firm in its commitment to work with FATF and ICRG to implement the action plan.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan has conveyed its concerns to the President Marshall Billingslea through a letter sent by Asad Umar, Pakistan’s finance minister, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.

Last month, the FATF called on Islamabad to move quickly in implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies until May 2019.

On Feb. 26, India claimed to have killed “several terrorists” in a “preemptive action” on a camp of Jaish-e-Muhammed inside Pakistani territory.

However, Islamabad denied there had been any casualties, saying Indian troops intruded into Pakistan’s airspace and dropped four bombs at empty forestland.

"We firmly believe that India's involvement in the ICRG [FATF’s International Co-operation Review Group] process will not be fair towards Pakistan," Umar said in the letter.

The minister assured the FATF president that his country remains firm in its commitment to work with FATF and ICRG to implement the action plan.