The two-day session of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, will begin in Paris today, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday. 

The meeting will discuss removing Pakistan’s name from the Grey List besides other matters.  

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar is already in the French capital to represent Pakistan at the meeting. 

Just three days ago, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, during his tour to the USA, had expressed optimism that Pakistan would be out of the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

He also said that Pakistan had worked hard to exit the grey list. “A meeting is expected in a few days, and the government is hopeful that the country will come out of it,” he hoped.

This will be the first FATF meeting under the chairmanship of taskforce’s new President Raja Kumar. 

It is worth-pointing out here that Pakistan has fully complied with FATF’s both action plans. Islamabad has implemented 34 points under two different action plans. Pakistan has fulfilled all conditions to stop money laundering, financial support of terrorists, officials said

At the last plenary meeting in March 2022, FATF had retained Pakistan’s name in its “grey list” and directed it to do more in investigating and prosecuting senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups for terror financing.

A high-level team of the FATF had visited Pakistan from August 29 to September 2 during which it held meetings with the relevant authorities and verified steps taken by the country to fulfill the conditions mandatory for exiting from the grey list. 

The delegation reviewed the sustainability of government initiatives and their implementation.