Pakistan objects to India's inclusion in FATF's Asia-Pacific Group

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has objected to the inclusion of India in the Financial Action Task Force's Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering, it emerged Saturday.

The APG is a FATF-style regional body for the Asia-Pacific region. It consists of 41 member jurisdictions and a number of observer jurisdictions and international or regional observer organisations.

Finance Minister Asad Umar, in his letter written to FATF president, urged him to include some other country in the group, instead of India.

He said India has biased opinion and hostility towards Pakistan, noting that New Delhi recently violated Pakistani airspace as well.

Mentioning that India is striving to isolate Pakistan globally, Umar said India's inclusion in FATF's Asia-Pacific Group would cause harassment to Pakistan.

He added that Pakistan was acting on FATF action plan, but India had been making political speeches against Pakistan despite its efforts.

The minister, in a tweet, said he had written to the FATF president to remove India from the position of co-chair for the Pakistan FATF review.

"India has blatantly abused its position by lobbying to get Pakistan blacklisted in the last review in Paris," he said, adding that Pakistan successfully defended its position.