New Delhi

Pakistan will have to remain on the Grey list of the Paris-based Financial Action task Force (FATF) for some more time, at least, till the Asia Pacific Group, an affiliate certifies that its reforms are working, and sustainable.

The FATF chief Marcus Plyer said at the end of the Berlin plenary of the FATF that although Pakistan has largely complied with 34 points given to it by the FATF on strengthening its system against money laundering and terror financing, the country will remain in the grey list.

He said FATF affiliate Asia-Pacific Group will pay a visit to Pakistan to see on the ground implementation of the actions taken by the government of Pakistan.

Pakistan’s leaders went into premature celebrations telling people the country had been taken off the FATF grey list. “For the past two months Pakistan has demonstrated that it is seriously pursuing terror finance investigations into the UN designated terrorists,” Plyer said.

He said, “The reformed pursued by Pakistan is good for the security and stability of the country and they will ensure Pakistan’s authorities can more effectively tackle the money laundering and terror financing by terrorist groups.”

APG has recommended an on-site visit to see if Pakistan’s reforms are in place and can be sustained into the future.

Pakistan is not being removed from the grey list today. It will be once on the site visit says its reforms are sustainable.

FATF has also decided to keep Russia out of the FATF’s decision-making bodies to punish it for the Ukraine war.