Did Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif jump the gun on FATF terror watch-list?
Did Pakistan’s overzealous Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif put his foot in his mouth by prematurely claiming that Islamabad has avoided being placed in a watch-list by a global watchdog over terrorism financing? It seems so, going by a tweet of his Cabinet colleague and Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal as well as the Foreign Ministry.
On Wednesday, Asif had tweeted that Pakistan had foiled US-led efforts to place it on a terrorist financing watch-list after the country was granted a three-month reprieve by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Foreign Minister Asif had tweeted that “our efforts paid” and “no consensus for nominating Pakistan” for the watch-list was reached at the conclusion of meeting on the US-led motion.
The meeting proposed “three months pause” and asked APG (Asia Pacific Group) for “another report to be considered in June”, he had tweeted.
Our efforts paid,FATF Paris 20Feb meeting conclusion on US led motion to put Pakistan on watch list
-No consensus for nominating Pakistan
-proposing 3months pause &asking APG for another report to b considered in June
Grateful to friends who helped— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) February 20, 2018
Asif said Pakistan was “grateful to friends who helped” to avoid being placed on the …read more
