The Asian affiliate of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) continues to watch Pakistan’s actions to strengthen its system to counter terror financing and it’s important for the nation to ship on all its commitments, the top of the multilateral watchdog stated on Friday.

FATF president T Raja Kumar of Singapore made the remarks at a information convention following the conclusion of a plenary assembly in Paris when he was requested whether or not Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin’s actions in Rawalpindi went towards Pakistan’s commitments to crack down on terrorism.

“I will not speculate on specific media reports. But I think what is important is to emphasise that there continues to be monitoring of Pakistan’s progress [in efforts to counter terror financing] by the Asia Pacific Group,” Kumar stated, referring to stories that Salahuddin had been noticed roaming freely on the streets of Rawalpindi.

The Asia Pacific Group (APG) is a FATF-style regional physique with 41 member international locations that displays cash laundering and terror financing.

Financial Action Task Force had eliminated Pakistan from its “grey list” in October final yr after the nation largely carried out two motion plans on anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT). The watchdog had positioned Pakistan within the listing of nations below enhanced monitoring of all monetary transactions in 2018.

While eradicating it from the gray listing, FATF had stated Pakistan must proceed its work to additional enhance programs to fight terror financing and cash laundering.

Kumar informed the information convention that Pakistan had been given two motion plans with 34 motion gadgets. “There was an on-site visit by the FATF to Pakistan, which confirmed that Pakistan has strengthened its AML and CFT systems,” he stated.

Pakistan had taken motion to finish the 34 motion gadgets “either totally or substantially”, primarily based on the high-level political dedication to “basically continue and sustain these further changes to its AML system to strengthen it”, he stated.

“Now, what is important to stress is that while Pakistan has been taken off the grey list, Pakistan continues to…be supervised by the Asia Pacific Group. So, I would urge Pakistan to continue to address its remaining action plan items to fully complete them, as well as to make sure that it sustains its commitment and continues to enhance its AML/CFT systems,” Kumar added.

Recent movies that emerged on-line confirmed Salahuddin together with armed bodyguards as he led funeral prayers for Bashir Ahmad Peer, a Hizbul Mujahideen commander shot useless by unidentified assailants in Rawalpindi. The movies additionally confirmed Salahuddin pledging to destroy India whereas a crowd cheered.

The FATF plenary assembly additionally determined to droop the membership of Russia, saying the nation’s “continuing and intensifying war of aggression against Ukraine runs counter to FATF’s principles of promoting security, safety and the integrity of the global financial system and the commitment to international cooperation and mutual respect”.

The watchdog additionally added South Africa and Nigeria to its gray listing.