Foreign
Erdogan backs Pakistan ahead of terror-financing review
Turkish President Recep Erdogan on Friday announced support for Pakistan to get off a global terror-financing watch list, ahead of a review next week of the measures Islamabad has taken.
“We will continue to support Pakistan at FATF in spite of pressures,” Erdogan said in an address to Pakistan’s parliament, referring to the Financial Action Task Force.
The task force is an intergovernmental organisation that promotes policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. Turkey has voting rights on the body.
Whether to keep Pakistan on a watch list or place the Islamic Republic on a more-penalising blacklist is on the agenda for the Paris-based body next week.
The FATF placed Pakistan on the watch list in 2018 on the request of the U.S. and its European allies.
The move was meant to force the South Asian nation to curb funding to militants like the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the group blamed for 2008 attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai.
Islamabad claims to have taken measures to curb funding to these groups and cites the conviction of LeT Hafiz Saeed this week on terror financing charges as an example of its commitment.
The Turkish leader arrived in Pakistan on Thursday with his ministers, government officials and heads of private companies to improve strategic and economic ties.
Erdogan also reiterated support for Pakistan in its dispute with neighbouring India over the Himalayan valley of Kashmir.
Both India and Pakistan control parts of Kashmir, but each country claims the region in its entirety.
Edited By: Fatima Sule/Emmanuel Yashim
