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| India-Pakistan |
| FATF’s conflict of interest |
| 2019-03-15 |
| [DAWN] FINANCE minister Asad Umar has done the right thing by writing to the Financial Action Task Force and asking for one of the co-chairs of the International Cooperation Review Group ‐ an individual who is a serving officer of the Indian government ‐ to be replaced. Given the co-chair’s position, the question arises of a conflict of interest when it comes to dealings with Pakistain. The ICRG is tasked with reviewing Pakistain’s progress on its implementation plan to move out of the grey list, and its report will play a crucial role in the June meetings of the global financial watchdog when Pakistain’s listing comes up for a decision. Pakistain narrowly avoided being blacklisted in the February meetings of the global watchdog that monitors terror financing and money laundering. The meetings took place against the backdrop of the Pulwama attack and the subsequent rise in Pakistain-India tensions. Departing from script, India made a spirited case for the immediate blacklisting of Pakistain at that meeting and found some backers around the table. Deft outreach efforts made by Pakistain’s delegation in Gay Paree and senior government officials back in Islamabad saved the day. But since then, India has continued with its campaign and used diplomatic channels to reach out to member countries of FATF, urging them to support a move to blacklist Pakistain in the June meetings. And all this even before the implementation of the action plan had begun. Since the Indian government is pushing this agenda through diplomatic channels, it is hard to imagine how the co-chair of the ICRG, who in this case holds a controversial position, will follow a line other than the one adopted by his government. |
| Posted by:Fred |