FATF's secret trip to Pakistan to verify actions taken to exit terror financing watchdog's grey list

As Pakistan attempts to exit the 'grey list' of the Financial Action Task Force, a high-level FATF team has concluded its visit to the Asian country, according to news reports.

FATF is a global watchdog tasked with curbing money laundering and terrorist financing.

During its 5-day trip to Pakistan, the FATF team held meetings with authorities, and verified measures implemented by Islamabad to fulfil conditions to exit the 'grey list'. The trip was kept under wraps.

The findings will be discussed in the next FATF meeting in Paris in October 2022. Pakistan was placed in FATF's 'grey list' in 2018 for failing to check money laundering, leading to terror financing.

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In June 2022, the FATF had agreed to send a team for verification after Pakistan claimed it had implemented a 34-point action plan for compliance with FATF rules. One of the major requirements was penal action against terrorists sanctioned by the United Nations.