There is a proposal to put Pakistan in the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter-governmental body combating money laundering and terror financing among other things, in its upcoming meeting, a senior official said here on Friday
"There is a proposal by some countries as part of the FATF process to put Pakistan in the grey list," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to a question whether the issue of Hafiz Saeed would figure in the meeting during a media briefing here.
"This grey listing happens because the commitment which was given by Pakistan on the action which they were supposed to take, that has not happened," Kumar said.
Stating that India has shared its views with the members of FATF in this regard, he said: "We, of course, would like to ensure through this that the government of Pakistan take effective measures in letter and spirit to curb terror financing, to curb fund raising activities of UN designated and other terror entities which are operating from their soil."
Pakistan earlier this week launched a crackdown on seminaries and health facilities run by Saeed, chief of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the mastermind behind the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.
The action has sparked speculation that Pakistan is doing this to avoid getting grey listed at the plenary session of the FATF scheduled to be held in Paris later this month.
Asked how India viewed this action, Kumar said it was "quite surprising that it took Pakistan 10 years to figure out which was known by the entire world that he is a terrorist".
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"In any case, the timing of such declaration of Hafiz Saeed as a terrorist is very suspect. We will have to see if they are willing to walk the talk and take concrete measures against terrorists and terror outfits which are operating from the soil of Pakistan."
The spokesperson said that India is committed to the objectives of the FATF and believes that UN Security Resolution 1267 and FATF standards pertaining to money laundering and terror financing must be implemented in letter and spirit by all nations.
"And those nationals and nations who are found wanting in implementing their obligations and are freely allowing the UN designated terrorist entities and individuals to operate and raise funds and have access to assets for their nefarious activities must be held accountable and subjected to appropriate action," he added.
--IANS
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