PDM, allies claim credit for Pakistan’s FATF whitelisting despite boycotting legislation

ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties and its allies including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have claimed credit for Pakistan’s whitelisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) despite boycotting relevant legislation in the Houses during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

Yesterday, the global money laundering and terrorism financing watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) removed Pakistan from its grey list.

The PDM parties and its allies took credit for the FATF whitelisting of Pakistan, surprisingly after showing massive opposition to the FATF-related bills in the House and blocking its passage in the Senate during the PTI government.

Here are some reactions by the top office-bearers of the federal government:

I would particularly commend the role & efforts of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and their teams & all political parties for putting up a united front to get Pakistan out of the grey list. Alhumdulillah! https://t.co/LkX5tupMQe

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) October 21, 2022

Congratulations to the people of Pakistan. Pakistan has officially been removed from the FATF ‘grey list’. Pakistan Zindabad.

— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) October 21, 2022

Heartiest congratulations to the Nation on removal of Pakistan’s name today from the FATF’s “grey list”.
Efforts of the civil-military team under the leadership of PM @CMShehbaz in achieving this goal are highly commendable.
Pakistan Zindabad 🇵🇰

— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) October 21, 2022

Pakistan has MA exited FATF Grey List. This has been a long and arduous journey that has only been made possible through strong political ownership across the political spectrum. It shows Pakistan can achieve much when we work together for Pakistan’s interest. pic.twitter.com/AUWZcXW4l8

— Hina Rabbani Khar (@HinaRKhar) October 21, 2022

In August 2020, the 104-member Senate, where the opposition enjoyed a majority, rejected two FATF-related bills including the Anti-Money Laundering (Second Amendment) Bill and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Waqf Properties Bill which were passed by the National Assembly (NA), Dawn News reported.

Later in September, the previous PTI government had managed to pass three crucial Financial Action Task Force (FATF) related laws in a joint session of the Parliament that was marred by the opposition’s protests.

Then opposition boycotted NA session

Terming it a black day in the country’s parliamentary history, then Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif had slammed then NA Speaker Asad Qaiser for “trampling upon parliamentary norms and bulldozing legislation”.

Addressing a press conference along with PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and other opposition leaders after a walkout from the joint sitting of parliament, Mr Sharif had said the legislation passed in haste granted the government unabated power to violate constitutional rights of people, particularly their political opponents, in the name of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

He said the speaker did not even allow debate and discussion on the first draft of the legislation and backed out of his promise of allowing even the opposition leader to speak at the joint session. Mr Sharif said the speakers had crossed a red line and the opposition had been forced to deliberate on what course of action to take over such unacceptable conduct, which forced the opposition to boycott the joint session, Dawn News reported.

PTI claims credit

The PTI leaders claimed credit for Pakistan’s exit from the grey list and said that the country completed the items of the FATF action plan from October 2018 to March 2022. Here are some reactions by the PTI leaders:

From October 2018 till March 2022, Pakistan completed all action items relating to FATF dual scrutiny. Credit goes to our fantastic team of officers in center & provinces from an array of govt divisions. pic.twitter.com/nodKUIDhaQ

— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) October 21, 2022

پاکستانی قوم کو FATFگرے لسٹ سے نکلنے پر مبارکباد اس کامیابی کا سہرا عمران خان دور حکومت کو جاتا ہے عمران خان کی ٹیم نے انتھک محنت اور مطلوبہ اہداف پر نیک نیتی اور محنت سے کام کیا آج اس عظیم لیڈر کے خلاف تمام قوتیں یکجا ہوکر میدان میں ہیں انشاءاللہ کپتان کا 🇵🇰 ہرمشکل سے سرخرو ہوگا

— Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) October 21, 2022

یہ اُس تاریخی دن کی تصویر ہے جب میں نے بطور مشیرِ پارلیمانی امور، وزیراعظم عمران خان کی ہدایت پر FATF کی گرے لسٹ سے پاکستان کو نکالنے سے متعلق بلز پارلیمنٹ میں پیش کئے۔ امپورٹڈ وزیراعظم اور درباریوں نے کھڑے ہوکر اِنہی بلز کی مخالفت کی۔ بھولنا مت، پاکستانیو! pic.twitter.com/BT5vfSEtC4

— Babar Awan (@BabarAwanPK) October 21, 2022

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan was placed on grey list by the FATF and a 34-point action plan was given to address the deficiencies creating serious threats to the global financial system.

A 15-member joint delegation of the FATF and its Sydney-based regional affiliate — Asia Pacific Group — paid an onsite visit to Pakistan from Aug 29 to Sept 2 to verify the country’s compliance with the 34-point action plan committed with the FATF.

The FATF confirmed in June this year that Pakistan completed implementation on all 34 points.