Pakistan submits progress report on 22 points to FATF joint group

Out of the total 27 action plan, Pakistan has submitted its progress report on 22 points before the joint group of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in a fresh bid to avoid falling into the global watchdog’’s blacklist, it was reported on Saturday.

Under the FATF plenary review meeting held in October, Pakistan was categorised as largely compliant on 5 points out of total 27 action plan, reports The News International.

Now Pakistan has submitted its progress report on the remaining 22 points before the joint group with the desire to come out from grey list or at least avoid falling into blacklist in the upcoming FATF’’s plenary review expected to take place in February 2020.

“The FATF desires to see progress on all points but their special focus is on Designated Non-Financial Businesses or Professions (DNFBP) especially gems and jewellery under regulations and conviction of proscribed organisations’’ persons,” said official sources.

The FATF joint group will review the progress report till the third week of this month, after which Pakistan will have time to respond to queries until January 7, 2020. A face-to-face meeting of the FATF is scheduled to take place in Beijing from January 21 to 24, 2020 where the Pakistani side will be given an opportunity to defend each and every point.

Pakistani authorities were expecting that the FATF might grant another relaxation probably up to June 2020 in its upcoming plenary review meeting as the current February 2020 deadline was too short a period for Islamabad to comply with the remaining 22 action plans.