“This is good news but the danger is still looming”, Ali Sarwar Naqvi, a former ambassador told Anadolu Agency and added, “This is just a temporary relief allowing us to rally more and more support to permanently get rid of this threat.”
He observed that Pakistan was still required to meet some key FATF conditions to move out of the list, and avoid being blacklisted.
Naqvi, who served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Jordan, Belgium, and Austria from 1970 to 2006, said that active diplomacy with the help of friendly countries would give a boost to Islamabad’s ongoing efforts steer out of FATF scanner.
“As far as I know, they [foreign ministry] is already in touch with FATF and Asia Pacific Group members and other friendly countries, and briefing them of measures it has taken to combat terror financing and money laundering recently,” he said.
About the US opposition to Pakistan in the FATF, Naqvi, who also served as an acting ambassador to the US, said: “Pakistan cannot do much to persuade the US. The fact is that the US opposition is not based on FATF charter but on political consideration, mainly because of clash of interests in Afghanistan, and Islamabad’s ever-growing relations with China.”
