Multan
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday said that some powers including India have been using Financial Action Task Force for political purposes.
Talking to media in Multan on Sunday, he said that Pakistan was placed in the grey list during the Pakistan Muslim League-N regime, however, the incumbent government has implemented the FATF action plan expeditiously.
Qureshi maintained that Pakistan fulfilled 26, out of total 27 recommendations of FATF. FATF should have placed Pakistan on white list as the country actively pursued the recommendations, he pointed out.
The foreign minister maintained that India was politicizing FATF as it wanted that sword of grey list should be kept hanging over Pakistan.
Answering a question related to the Financial Action Task Force, the minister said that if FATF members will have to decide if it is a technical forum or a political one.
“If FATF is a technical forum, then Pakistan should be on its white list,” he said. He added that India, along with some other powers, has tried to politicise the forum.
To another question about seizure of uranium from two citizens in India, he remarked if the incident happened in Pakistan, then Indian media would have highlighted it across the world.
The foreign minister, however, urged Pakistani media to focus on the issue and highlight it internationally.
Regarding withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, Qureshi stated that peaceful Afghanistan was in interest of the region. US force were withdrawing from Afghanistan and there could be fear of a civil war.
He expressed concern, in case of civil war, Afghanistan would be more affected country and after it, Pakistan would suffer.
To another question about secret meeting of Indian FM and Taliban in Doha, he observed that Taliban’s main leadership had denied of any such meeting.
About South Punjab Secretariat, Qureshi stated that the PTI would honour its pledge of south Punjab province and ensuring equal progress in the backward region.
He informed that work on construction of south Punjab secretariat would commence from first week of August.
