Pakistan submits report to FATF, cites Hafiz Saeed sentence to get out of grey list

Pakistan has submitted its compliance report for review to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) with hopes that it would see Islamabad out of the terror watchdog's grey list.

As per the details, a Pakistan delegation led by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar submitted the report that shows compliance of at least 14 points out of the 27 point action plan to counter money laundering and terror financing.

Pakistani officials state that while it has completely implemented 14 out of the 27 points in the FATF action plan, it has also been partially compliant with at least 11 points, adding that there are at least two points that are not possible.

On the other hand, FATF has demanded Pakistan to further tighten its laws and hold organizations and individuals behind money laundering and terror financing accountable.

Pakistan uses Hafiz Saeed case for its defence

Pakistan has used the recent conviction of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JUD) chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been sent to at least five-and-a-half years imprisonment each in the two cases on money laundering and terror financing, to defend itself at the FATF.

Responding to FATF demand for further tightening of laws on money laundering and terror financing, Pakistani officials cited the conviction of Hafiz Saeed, maintaining that the country’s judicial system was completely independent and that the courts take a decision on merits of each case.

Last week, Hafiz Saeed was sent to jail for at least five years and six months each in the two cases heart against him at the anti-terrorism court.
The ATC found Hafiz Saeed guilty of using charity organizations, their offices and resources for money laundering and terror financing.

The ATC sentenced Saeed to five-and-a-half years in each case while a fine of PKR 15,000 was also imposed on him.

The court, however, maintained that the total tenure of Hafiz Saeed in jail would be five-and-a-half years as jail terms in both cases would be completed concurrently.

Pakistan’s progress will be reviewed at the FATF meeting which will run till February 21, 2020.

While Pakistan is optimistic that it would be able to satisfy FATF and get out of the grey list, analysts say that possibility that Islamabad may retain its place in the list for another six months cannot be written out.