US and UK join India against Pakistan at FATF as China prefers abstention

United States and United Kingdom joined hands with India to continue to place Pakistan in the grey list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) where China abstained in Orlando, Florida meeting.
Turkey appeared as the only country that had opposed the anti-Pakistan move although longtime ally China abstained.

India co-chair the joint group of FATF and Asia Pacific Group sought to place Pakistan in the Paris-based watchdog’s blacklist of the countries.

The arch-enemy wants FATF to declare that Pakistan failed in meeting international standards in combating financial crimes.

The FATF at a meeting in Guangzhou, China last month, reportedly asked Pakistan do more. It declared its compliance on 18 of the 27 indicators pointed out in the action plan —unsatisfactory.

The FATF, in a statement after a meeting in Orlando, Florida, urged Pakistan to swiftly complete its action plan. Last set of action plan items deadline by October 2019 .

“Otherwise, the FATF will decide the next step at that time for insufficient progress,” it said.
Most importantly, FATF expressed concern Pakistan failed to complete the action plan first by January and then by May deadline.