Tag: imran khan

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Army Rejects Imran’s Pleas on TLP

According to the sources, the army chief said if the decision-makers were ready to pay the price for using force against the TLP, then the military would do as ordered….reports Asian Lite News

The row between Pakistan PM and Army continues as the military leadership had advised against the use of force against the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters after Prime Minister Imran Khan had authorised it, Dawn reported.

According to sources privy to the fast-paced developments taking place, the Pakistan prime minister had authorised the use of force against the TLP marchers. Once this authorisation was relayed, the Pakistan military leadership reviewed the operational dynamics and possible consequences of using force against the crowd. They calculated what it would entail to apply force against the marchers, and how many casualties could take place if the law enforcers were to use the last resort and open fire on those refusing to disperse. The leadership also factored into this calculation the probable blowback of casualties and its impact on public opinion.

According to sources, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa presented all the pros and cons of using force against TLP workers when the political and military leadership gathered to discuss the issue at the National Security Committee meeting that took place on October 29.

Pic credits IANS

People who know the details of this meeting have confirmed to Dawn that the army chief said if the decision-makers were ready to pay the price for using force against the TLP, then the military would do as ordered. However, mention was made of the previous instances where the government had used force against citizens — Lal Masjid and the Model Town incident — and participants of the meeting were reminded of the consequences of both episodes.

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By the time this meeting took place however, the government had already taken a tough line and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had quoted the prime minister as telling the cabinet on October 27 that the government would not allow anyone to take the law into their hands and challenge the writ of the state.

The military leadership, however, advised against the use of force arguing that it was not a solution. It was then decided to opt for a negotiated settlement in order to, as one source put it, ‘avoid bloodshed’. This is when Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman was identified as someone who could mediate an agreement given his standing as a senior Barelvi cleric.

Pak NSA warns TLP protesters

After having taken the political leadership on board, the Pakistan government has in principle decided to make public the agreement it signed with the TLP but kept secret till its implementation was well under way.

Participants of the briefing told Dawn the senior military officials informed them about how the agreement came about and why it was decided to keep it secret for this long.

According to these officials, the primary objective was to get the TLP protesters off the streets so the situation could return to normal. In this context, there was a concern that unveiling the contents of the agreement at an early stage could have triggered a public debate that may have impeded its implementation that in turn was linked with the ending of the protest.

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TRUCE WITH TTP: Dawn Turns Heat on Imran

“The people of Pakistan are major stakeholders in this debate — having borne the brunt of the TTP’s militancy — and they must have their say in the final decision,” according to Dawn’s Editorial, reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan is back to signing secret peace agreements with militant groups, this time with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been involved in killing several thousand civilians, including over 130 school children.

Such abject surrender to terrorists has rarely happened anywhere else but Pakistan. The banned outfit has declared a one-month ceasefire, starting from November 9.

Domestic Pakistani critics, among them political parties, civil society and sections of the media have called it surrender and capitulation.

Meanwhile, in its Tuesday Editorial, the Pakistani daily Dawn, criticised this secret deal made by the goverment with TTP without a proper debate in the Parliament “in full glare of the media.”

“The unfortunate part is that there has been almost negligible public input in this matter. The government has quietly initiated these talks and brought them to a stage where a ceasefire is now in effect. There have been hints all along the way for sure — from the president, the foreign minister and later the prime minister who chose to reveal on an international channel that talks were ongoing with the TTP,” the Editorial said.

Like his predecessors, Imran Khan has also decided to keep the contours of the peace pact with TTP secret. The public, as always, remain ignorant about the concessions given to TTP.

According to reports, Afghan Taliban are playing the mediator role between the terror outfit and the government.

The Editorial said there is “no information in terms of what Pakistan has offered in return for this ceasefire, who is on the government’s team, and what concessions are being considered for those who have the blood of Pakistanis on their hands.”

It said the issue “may have been discussed at the briefing on Monday and various parliamentary leaders would have given their suggestions, but it is a bit late to be taking them into confidence when negotiations are already in an advanced stage.”

“The people of Pakistan are major stakeholders in this debate — having borne the brunt of the TTP’s militancy — and they must have their say in the final decision. The parliamentarians should use the material from this briefing to initiate a debate on the floor of both Houses before any final deal with the TTP is agreed upon. The government must come clean on this issue,” Dawn stated.

Imran Khan had been a supporter of TTP and other militant groups for long which had earned him the sobriquet of ‘Taliban Khan’. Faced with a colossal failure as a Prime Minister and souring relationship with the army, Imran Khan has decided to draw on the support of militant groups like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and TTP to shore up his position in the hybrid regime that currently rules Pakistan.

(Pic credit: IANS)

But Imran Khan seems to be in no mood to learn from the recent history of failures. He is not worried what kind of message his capitulation to TLP and TTP would send to over 250 religious outfits in Pakistan — that violence was rewarding, that holding the country to ransom through acts of ransom and violence would give them a leverage over democratically-elected governments.

The so-called peace pacts with militant groups, first with TLP and now with TTP, exposes the grim reality of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism policy, a fact which must be noted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) at its next meeting. (with inputs from IANS)

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Pakistan govt reaches agreement with banned TLP

Imran Khan

Pakistan Prime Minister-led Imran Khan government on October 31 reached an agreement with the hardline outlawed radical Islamist party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan Prime Minister-led Imran Khan government on October 31 reached an agreement with the hardline outlawed radical Islamist party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) as the two sides negotiated for the release of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan party chief Saad Rizvi, as well as expel the French ambassadors. 

The talks came as the violent protests flared across the country with tens of thousands of protesters of the radical Islamist group marching in Islamabad, heading to Gujranwala, Pakistan’s third-largest industrial centre approximately 80kms from Lahore and an estimated 220kms from Islamabad. 

Weeks after the radical Islamist protesters threatened to bring Islamabad to a halt, the Imran Khan-led government announced that it has reached a mutual agreement with TLP, ANI reported. The announcement came after Pakistan released 350 activists of the banned outfit Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan arrested during the unrest after they threatened of holding a “long march” against Prime Minister Imran Khan for not releasing party chief Saad Hussain Rizvi. 

The issue will be resolved peacefully by Tuesday, ending the 10-day long conflict, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said, according to Geo TV. The dialogue was held amid the partial closure of the populous cities of Lahore and Rawalpindi and demands from the rebel groups for the permanent closure of France’s embassy in Pakistan.

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“Police and Rangers are deployed on the route, the law enforcers did not stop the TLP workers on the order from the top as some government functionaries have engaged its leadership in talks,” a government official from Pakistan’s Punjab province told news agency PTI. Although, neither Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi nor religious leader Mufti Muneebur Rehman gave out the details about the meeting despite that both were a part of the meeting.

A committee panel of 12 members was earlier constituted to act as a negotiator between the Imran Khan-led administration and the outlawed Islamist party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) that has been protesting for two weeks to put pressure on the government to release the party’s leader. Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, had told Pakistani media last week that the panel is in negotiations with both the PTI administration and the leaders of the outlawed group. 

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Opposition calls for overthrowing Imran govt

The party president further questioned the competence of the government and said that the number of days remaining of this government is “numbered”…reports Asian Lite News.

Amid rising inflation in Pakistan, opposition parties have staged a protest in two cities of the country urging people to join forces to “overthrow” the Imran Khan government, reported local media.

Workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on the call of the party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, staged protests in Islamabad and Rawalpindi against the rise in poverty, unemployment and inflation, reported Dawn.

The party workers raised slogans against the Imran Khan government.

PPP General Secretary Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari hit out at the energy minister for his comment of Pakistan being a cheap country in the region and said that he is making fun of the poor people.

In 38 months, the miseries of the people have multiplied and they can hardly make ends meet,” Dawn quoted Bukhari as saying.

The party president further questioned the competence of the government and said that the number of days remaining of this government is “numbered”.

“It is time to say goodbye to these rulers. Bilawal is protesting against inflation as he is the heir of Benazir Bhutto who worked hard for the poor,” Dawn quoted Bukhari as saying.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari with his father Asif Ali Zardari (Wikipedia)

Earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had alleged that Prime Minister Imran Khan has snatched away the freedoms of the country’s people including “the sanctity of the vote to freedom of speech as well as that of the media.”

“Imran Khan has taken away the freedoms that have been bestowed upon the people under the Constitution. Imran tried to snatch it all”, Tribune quoted Bilawal as saying.

Notably, food prices that began to surge in 2018 continue to shoot higher even in 2021 in Pakistan.

The rise in the price of per kilo vegetable ghee has been 27 per cent consecutively for the last three years. The price of cooking oil has shot up to 23per cent, Sugar to 22per cent and pulse to 21 per cent since October 2018. The rise in the flour price each year since 2018 has been 15per cent, according to Dawn.

The newspaper reported that the food inflation of Pakistan has remained in the double digits for the last two years barring a couple of months. (ANI)

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Pak govt refuses to disclose details of gifts received by PM

imran (ANI)

Earlier, the PIC had directed the cabinet division to “provide the requested information about the gifts received by Prime Minister Imran Khan from foreign head of states, head of governments and other foreign dignitaries”…reports Asian Lite News.

The Pakistan government is reluctant to disclose the information pertaining to the gifts Prime Minister Imran Khan had received since he assumed power in 2018, local media reported.

The country’s cabinet division has challenged the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) order seeking details of the gifts presented to Khan since August 2018, Dawn reported on Tuesday.

The cabinet division claimed that the PIC order was “illegal, without lawful authority”. It has filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court over the issue.

The government maintains that disclosure of any information related to Toshakhana jeopardises international ties, though a reference filed against the leadership of the two major opposition parties was based on the information shared by Toshakhana, reported Dawn.

Earlier, the PIC had directed the cabinet division to “provide the requested information about the gifts received by Prime Minister Imran Khan from foreign head of states, head of governments and other foreign dignitaries”.

The cabinet division did not accept the PIC request noting that the matter did not fall within the ambit of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017. It also said that releasing the information related to Toshakhana could jeopardise international ties, according to Dawn.

However, the commission had clarified that when certified information about these gifts will be made public, Pakistani citizens will know that the gifts received on their behalf are being properly managed.

Drowning economy

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Leader of Opposition Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday slammed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government saying that the ruling party has drowned the country’s economy under debts.

He also lashed out at the Imran Khan government over the “unprecedented level” of inflation in the country and added that during its three-year tenure, it did not build a “single penny” project, Express Tribune reported.

“Five million people have been rendered unemployed by the incumbent government, it has become impossible for the poor to afford two square meals a day,” Shehbaz Sharif said while addressing a National Assembly session in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Sharif’s remarks come at a time when Pakistan’s financial debt continues to mount. The country’s total debt has gone up to Rs.149 trillion during three years under Imran Khan-led-Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government, according to an annual report released by the State Bank of Pakistan, the country’s vernacular media reported.

Shehbaz Sharif (Wikipedia)

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s public debt had increased by over eight per cent in 11 months of the fiscal year ended in June due to increased government borrowing to meet the spending requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, The News International reported citing government data in the month of July.

After three years of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) forming the government in Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan has failed to achieve what his party had promised to the people in its 2018 manifesto, local media reported. (ANI)

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Ex-senator blasts Imran govt for its Afghanistan policies

Kamal’s remarks came a few days after demonstrators raised their voices in several countries against Islamabad’s role in the Afghanistan debacle…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan former senator Mustafa Kamal has lambasted the Imran Khan government for its “malafide policies” towards Afghanistan and said that the country has already paid enough price.

Kamal who is also the Chief of Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) recently said that the federal government should refrain from “adventurism” in their policy towards Afghanistan post-Taliban takeover, The News International reported.

“The parliamentarians should bear in mind that Pakistan had already paid enough for the ‘malafide policies’ of the governments in the past and they should not repeat the same mistake,” he said on Saturday while speaking to a journalist.

“NATO forces had been defeated in their 20-year-long war in Afghanistan and it was assumed that Pakistan had played a role in the victory of Taliban,” he added.

The PSP chief also remarked that “so-called superpowers which suffered defeats in Afghanistan would come back for revenge and if they did so Pakistan would be on top of the list for the first offensives.”

Kamal’s remarks came a few days after demonstrators raised their voices in several countries against Islamabad’s role in the Afghanistan debacle and blamed the country for helping the Taliban.

Earlier this month, multiple protests were held in the US, Australia, Canada, the UK, and Austria against the Taliban’s seizure of key regions and brutal offensive in Afghanistan.

Afghan diaspora and other people living in Canada, Australia, Manchester and Vienna staged protests against the Taliban, denouncing their aggressive advance and barbaric acts in Afghanistan. Protesters also called to sanction Pakistan for their proxy war in Afghanistan.

Around 300 persons gathered at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin protesting against Pakistan for supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan. (ANI)

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Potential targets of Pegasus include number once used by Pak PM

The spyware ‘Pegasus’ is developed by Israel-based NSO Group which specialises in hacking devices…reports Asian Lite News

The list of potential targets of the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware programme included at least one number once used by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to Washington Post.

The spyware ‘Pegasus’ is developed by Israel-based NSO Group. The company specialises in hacking devices and caters to various governments of the world for spying purposes.

According to Washington Post, more than 1,000 phone numbers in India appeared on the surveillance list while hundreds were from Pakistan, including the one Prime Minister Imran once used.

However, the Post did not reveal whether the surveillance attempt on PM Imran’s number was successful.

Meanwhile, The Wire reported that 300 mobile phone numbers used in India — including those of government ministers, opposition politicians, journalists, scientists and rights activists — were on the list of potential targets for surveillance by an unidentified agency using Pegasus spyware.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology has refuted the reports of surveillance of journalists.

“The allegations regarding government surveillance on specific people has no concrete basis or truth associated with it whatsoever. In the past, similar claims were made regarding the use of Pegasus on WhatsApp by the Indian State. Those reports also had no factual basis and were categorically denied by all parties, including WhatsApp in the Indian Supreme Court,” the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology said in its response.

“This news report, thus, also appears to be a similar fishing expedition, based on conjectures and exaggerations to malign the Indian democracy and its institutions,” the Ministry added.

According to The Wire, the leaked list was first accessed by France-based Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International and later shared with The Wire and 15 other news organisations worldwide as part of a collaborative investigation named the ‘Pegasus Project’.

Notably, the presence of a phone number in the list alone does not reveal whether a device was infected with Pegasus or subject to an attempted hack. But the Pegasus Project suggests potential targets for surveillance attempts. (ANI)

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PDM vows it will ensure Imran’s ‘illegitimate govt’ is sent packing

Shahbaz continued to criticise the Pakistan government for increasing the prices of wheat, petrol, and electricity and said that “Imran Khan has brought the country to the brink of disaster.”…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) head and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman has criticised the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led PTI government for its “incompetence” and said that the party will ensure that the “illegitimate government” is sent packing.

“People’s hopes and spirits have still not diminished. While Imran Khan represents the undemocratic part of Pakistani politics, the PDM will ensure that this illegitimate government is sent packing,” The News International quoted JUI-F chief as saying at the PDM’s protest rally in Swat on Sunday.

Meanwhile, taking a jibe at Imran Khan, opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif also said that he has left “no stone unturned in destroying the people of Pakistan.”

“Imran Khan had said that he would end corruption from the country within 90 days of coming into power, but nothing happened,” said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, during a ceremony of multi-party opposition alliance –PDM at the Grassy Ground in Mingora, Geo news reported.

“The seat of the premier remains empty in the Parliament just like the pockets of the masses,” he said adding that ever since Imran Khan took over, the country has been going through “historical poverty.”

“Inflation has skyrocketed and Pakistan has never seen such a condition before,” he said, adding that despite promising the provision of five million houses for the poor, not a single brick has been laid by the government.

“Imran Khan said he would create 10 million jobs but instead left people unemployed,” he said. “This is certainly not Pakistan that the Quaid-e-Azam had envisioned.”

Shahbaz continued to criticise the Pakistan government for increasing the prices of wheat, petrol, and electricity and said that “Imran Khan has brought the country to the brink of disaster.”

Shahbaz slams Imran

Taking a jibe at Imran Khan, opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday said that he has left “no stone unturned in destroying the people of the country.

“Imran Khan had said that he would end corruption from the country within 90 days of coming into power, but nothing happened,” said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, during a ceremony of multi-party opposition alliance –Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) at the Grassy Ground in Mingora, Geo news reported.

“The seat of the premier remains empty in the Parliament just like the pockets of the masses,” he said adding that ever since Imran Khan took over, the country has been going through “historical poverty.”

“Inflation has skyrocketed and Pakistan has never seen such a condition before,” he said, adding that despite promising the provision of five million houses for the poor, not a single brick has been laid by the government.

“Imran Khan said he would create 10 million jobs but instead left people unemployed,” he said. “This is certainly not Pakistan that the Quaid-e-Azam had envisioned.”

The PML-N leader also lauded the previous, PML-N-led government and cited comparative statistics, adding that the “old Pakistan” was much better than the “Naya Pakistan.”

Shahbaz continued to criticise the Pakistan government for increasing the prices of wheat, petrol, and electricity and said that “Imran Khan has brought the country to the brink of disaster.”

Earlier this month, Geo News reported the worsening state of Pakistan’s energy crisis, as the country was facing an electricity shortfall of somewhere between 7,000 and 8,000 megawatts.

Unannounced load-shedding has reached its peak in Punjab, including Lahore, due to the electricity shortfall. Unannounced power suspension of up to three to five hours at many places during the last 72 hours had heightened the misery of the public.

Due to the power crisis, besides Lahore, long hours of load-shedding are also taking place in other cities, including Islamabad, Peshawar and Karachi. (ANI)

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Imran Khan accused of neglecting agri sector

The opposition members termed the budget a “fraud with the people of Pakistan” and the treasury members dubbed it “the best and growth-oriented budget”…reports Asian Lite News

Taking part in a general discussion on the federal budget in the Pakistan National Assembly, lawmakers from the opposition and the treasury benches castigated the Imran Khan-led government for ‘neglecting’ the agriculture sector and asked it to announce a comprehensive agriculture policy.

According to Dawn, some treasury members also expressed concern over the law and order situation, electricity load-shedding and price hike in Pakistan, besides taking their own government to task over allocation for the agriculture sector.

Moreover, even Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed demanded that electricity charges should be reduced and steps should be taken to reduce price hike.

The opposition members termed the budget a “fraud with the people of Pakistan” and the treasury members dubbed it “the best and growth-oriented budget” in the present scenario amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The opposition members belonging to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan lashed out at the governments of the two provinces. The most hard-hitting speech was delivered by the ruling PTI member from Rajanpur, Riaz Mazari, against his own party’s federal government and provincial government in Punjab, reported Dawn.

WheatFieldsPandjab(wikipedia)
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Mazari said that poor people had been “crushed” under the price hike, adding that either it was because of the previous governments or because the incumbent government had no capacity to resolve the issue. “I will request the government to bring down price hike,” he said.

He also highlighted that his constituency had become a “no-go area” as though five IGs of Punjab police had been changed, robbers were still roaming in the area freely. He said that he had taken up the issue with Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in the presence of the inspector general of police, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, PTI MNA from Charsadda Fazal Mohammad Khan blasted his own party’s government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying the local officials had issued him completion certificates of 10 development projects in his constituency, but on ground, only three projects had been completed, Dawn reported.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Bashir Virk regretted that no person affiliated to the agriculture sector had become the country’s finance minister. “This is the house of agriculturists. But we make decisions after taking dictation from bureaucrats and technocrats,” he said.

Furthermore, Pakistan People Party’s (PPP) Hassan Tariq regretted that no subsidy had been announced for seeds and fertilisers.

The National Assembly witnessed a chaotic situation over the past few days due to the federal budget passed by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government, which has been slammed by many. (ANI)

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FATF regional body retains Pakistan on ‘Enhanced Follow-up List’

The latest development comes only a few weeks ahead of a meeting of the FATF –the Paris-based global watchdog– to decide on Pakistan’s grey list status, reports Asian Lite News

A regional affiliate of the Financial Acton Task Force (FATF) has retained Pakistan on the ”Enhanced Follow-up” list and asked the country to strengthen its implementation of anti-money laundering and combating terror financing measures.

The FATF Asia Pacific Group on Friday released a second Follow up Report (FUR) on the Mutual Evaluation of Pakistan on the compliance of 40 technical recommendations.

The report said Pakistan was re-rated to ‘compliant’ status on five counts and on 15 others to ‘largely compliant’ and on yet another count to ‘partially compliant, Dawn reported.

FATF
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Plenary meeting in Paris. (Photo: Twitter/@FATFNews)

The two recommendations on which Pakistan was downgraded to ‘non-compliant were 37 and 38 due to “insufficient progress” and pertained to mutual legal assistance (MLA) with other countries and freezing and confiscation of assets and accounts.

“Pakistan will move from enhanced (expedited) to enhanced follow-up, and will continue to report back to the APG on progress to strengthen its implementation of anti-money laundering and combating financing terror (AML/CFT) measures,” the APG said.

It is pertinent to note that the development comes only a few weeks ahead of a meeting of the FATF –the Paris-based global watchdog– to decide on Pakistan’s grey list status.

The 41-member APG in August 2019 had downgraded Pakistan”s status to the ”Enhanced Follow-up” category from the ”Regular Follow-up” over technical deficiencies to meet normal international financial standards by October 2018.

Hafiz Saeed

The APG has noted that Pakistan has taken positive steps in enacting the new Mutual Legal Assistance Act 2020 (MLAA) and establishing MLA processes and timeframes.

However, it added, that the “restrictive conditions” imposed on the provision of MLA through the new requirement to inform the subject of any request to restrain or confiscate assets is a significant deficiency that prevents Pakistan from maintaining the confidentiality of requests and undermines its ability to act expeditiously.

Pakistan has been on the FATF’s grey list since June 2018.

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Global terror financing watchdog, FATF, in February this year, had retained Pakistan on its “grey list” till June after concluding that Islamabad failed to address its strategically important deficiencies, to fully implement the 27 point action plan that the watchdog had drawn up for Pakistan.

Pakistan’s continuation on the ‘grey list’ means that it will not get any respite in trying to access finances in the form of investments and aid from international bodies including International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa meets Prime Minister Imran Khan

Pakistan is facing the difficult task of clearing its name from the FATF grey list. As things stand, Islamabad is finding it difficult to shield terror perpetrators and implement the FATF action plan at the same time.

Early this year, Islamabad-based think tank Tabadlab revealed that Pakistan sustained a total of USD 38 billion in economic losses due to FATF’ decision to thrice place the country on its grey list since 2008.

The research paper titled “Bearing the cost of global politics — the impact of FATF grey-listing on Pakistan’s economy” states that that grey-listing events spanning from 2008 to 2019, may have resulted in total GDP losses worth USD 38 billion. (ANI)

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