Pakistan claims it got 3 months reprieve over being placed on terror financing watchlist

The US expects that the Paris-based anti-money laundering watchdog  Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will take stern action on Pakistan and other countries later this week, whom it believes is not doing enough on terror financing.

"We're anticipating that the final decision would be made on Thursday of this week," the State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference.

She was responding to a question on a tweet from Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja M Asif, that there was no consensus at the FATF meeting to place Pakistan in the grey list which is a watch-list of countries that need to do more in relation to anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism.

"I cannot (respond to the tweet) because my understanding was that the final decision on that was due later this week. I don't want to get ahead of what that final decision would be.

I don't have just independent confirmation that a decision was made early," the State Department Spokesperson said. At the Financial Action Task Force, a lot of countries have come together and they look at various nations who we believe and those other countries believe are not doing enough to crack down on terror financing, counterterrorism and the like, she said.

"Pakistan is one of those countries that they're taking a close look at, and they may be making – they’ll be making an announcement sometime soon," Nauert said.America's concerns with regard to Pakistan, she said, has been very clear.

"Our concerns about terror financing – how many times have we talked about the person who's – Pakistan let out of house arrest, who was responsible for the Mumbai attacks back in 2008 that killed so many people, including Americans too," Nauert said.

In his tweet, Pakistani Foreign Minister said that the country has been given three-month reprieve over the US-led motion in FATF.

"Our efforts paid, FATF Paris 20 Feb 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 be considered in June. Grateful to friends who helped," he said.