ALI HUSSAIN &

ZAHEER ABBASI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities are tight-lipped to comment on the outcome of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary held in Orlando from 19-21 June 2019 and the comments attributed to its President Marshall Billingslea with respect to Pakistan's possible blacklisting.

Whether it is a propaganda to malign Pakistan or is actual outcome of the proceedings of the FATF plenary, Indian media is continuously coming up with the reports, attributing comments to FAFT President Marshall Billingslea with regard to alleged lack of progress on the action plan given to Pakistan to act against the money laundering and terror financing.

The Foreign Office, which has always referred queries with regard to FATF to Ministry of Finance being the leading ministry to deal with the FATF, avoided commenting on the issue while Finance Ministry spokesman when asked passed on the buck to the DG Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU).

When this newspaper contacted the DG FMU, he stated he was busy and asked to contact him later. However, despite various attempts, he could not be reached for his comments.

Pakistan's Foreign Office, on June 22, respond to Indian External Affairs Ministry's statement on the FATF report describing it as 'preposterous' and 'unwarranted.'

"We regard the statement issued by India regarding the FATF report as preposterous and unwarranted. If anything, this is yet another evidence of India's relentless efforts to politicise the deliberations of FATF for its narrow partisan objectives," Foreign Office said in response to the Indian External Affairs Ministry's statement.

The relevant official in Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), when approached, was also not available for comments.