FATF and Pakistan
By: Amjad Ali Dadda
Tags: Fatf, Financial, George Bernard Shaw, Terorrism, Pakistan

According to Ana Gonzalez and Jens Manuel, presented in their recent article America is building wall on borders with Mexico cause US facing huge number of influxes of illegal immigrants coming from Mexico. Wall being built by US to stop such illegal immigrants would cost US $1.6 bn or more. Southwest border in fiscal 2018, marking the third consecutive year in which they outnumbered Mexicans. In fiscal 2018, Border Patrol of US made 152,257 apprehensions of Mexicans who were trying to cross borders. This Pew research suggests that numbers of such illegal immigrants in country could be around 4.9 million, all coming from Mexico, while numbers of such illegal immigrants from other countries from world and the rest of South America could be around 5.5 million. Thus, approximate number of illegal immigrants in US, could be as much as 10.4 million. In Pakistan number of unregistered Afghan immigrants could be 1.6 million, while number of all illegal immigrants in Pakistan could be up to 3.5 million, mostly living in KPK and Karachi. According NARA alone in Karachi the largest financial capital of Pakistan there could be more than a million illegal immigrants mostly from Bangladesh and Afghanistan. While in country number of such illegal immigrants could be up to 3.5 million. These immigrants consisting persona non-grata from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Nigeria, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Somalia., Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and other CAR states.

Issue of illegal immigration does not come only with impediments of urban management, but this also brings inflow of crimes in society as in absence of legal acceptance towards citizen rights, such immigrants these people are pushed towards forced labour, modern slavery, sex industry, drugs trafficking, killing and even terrorism. Who in our world is not aware the fact related to Great Game being played in Afghanistan, since the end of 19th century? For past four decades, Afghanistan is epicentre of conflict and terrorism, with multiple sources and causes that taking serious strain on region. In near future anytime freeze on this cyclic violent and death hunting game seems difficult. Pakistan, since 1980s has become major affected party outside Afghanistan from this complex hunt & revenge game. Whatever (many illogical gains this conflict has for parties) that are alleged Pakistani establishment by many paid content writers of DC, lets take their mesmerising versions for debate as a truth that Pakistan is reason behind stretch of conflicts in Afghanistan, are contradiction to all loses and blood bath faced by Pakistan and due to war in Afghanistan. Facts are sound enough to deny these versions as any factual assessments. Very fact occasionally is repeated by Pakistan Prime Minister Khan and other officials at foreign ministry of Pakistan. This is not only about losing pace of development, growth and economy, but more worthy and un-matched price Pakistanis paid goes as high as of 80000 deaths (where no other nation in current world has paid such human price for being in neighbouring to a conflict area).

Human lives are un-recoverable lasting loss that has no equal example in world, even millions of dollars could not be taken as equal in the worth to a human departed soul. Since, the dawn of 20th century our world witnessed many major events that challenge sanity of humans to justify political decisions and other collective decisions that were taken by group of nations to claim their act fair and just under the followed principles of morality of time. Either this debate be made about world wars that, origin which lead to those events or many other actions. For example, if we look at the views of George Bernard Shaw about rulers of that world, he was living in 1900, especially about Benito Mussolini. Shaw was very critic over unwise and illogical actions that were being imposed by powerful nations and alliances of that time, over the weaker states to punish lateral for some uncontrollable events within borders.

FATF is keen to control money laundering and terror financing, whole world must be standing for this noble cause with greater rigour and actions. FATF relies on strong global network of regional bodies in promoting its mission among member states. FATF joins efforts with 9 other, similar organisations around regions to achieve same objectives and regulations to manage financial business among nations in transparent and positive way. These actions must be used as help for the development and the growth of all nations, instead leaving these weak nations to face burden of the negative activities and crime.

Pakistan a member in FATF and MENAFATF clubs is there to seek its system become more responsible and effective in curbing the damaging acts of money laundering and terror financing. To take hard on disguising terror funding and illegal money in financial system, whether it is through the means of monetary physical transactions, through a system of transfer or in forms of goods all states have to be active cause these financial crimes severely damage development of countries. Fact is that it is very much in the interest of this youth bulged country to fix such problems in its system and country appreciate global support in this regard.

It must be very serious act to look efforts made by Pakistan suspicious one, when country not only taking all this with full potential, available resources and trained people. One must find other realities that country is faced with huge problems that adding strains to act in full capacity and potential against these crimes, we cannot compare Pakistan with that of Germany or Denmark. Simplicity of functionality and other factors like smooth documentation are key features that can help Pakistan to fix many issues in managing financial services and surely country need to come with more transparency and accountability in her system. Specious transactions reports must be matter of actions and measures to ensure maximum benefits of such control over illegal money that affects smooth and fair distribution of legal wealth in country, if Pakistan gets very required training support and expertise this task will be managed in better way.

Though, it will serve to Pakistan and its people more, as country will be up to the marks in her compliance to FATF recommendations and regulations but there is serious responsibility of FATF on their side to visit each case they take under their consideration based holistic terms. One must not forget that there is need to support Pakistan by helping in its capacity building in financial regulations. Further, it must be look that a country that sacrificed 80000 people, over 120$ billion of her economy, already is under serious pressures of management and some threats of blacklisting at end will never help it or others but only will add in some strange chaos. If George Bernard Shaw was alive he must have advising FATF brains not to threat again and again to a nation which holding sensitive position, exhausted financially by fighting a war into its boundaries, feeding millions of Afghans, taking burden of illegal immigrants here its something world economic superpower even can’t manage well and more world must not forget that any serious consequences for Pakistani economy will put serious strains over her nuclear security capability; which is huge responsibility Pakistan playing efficiently. Guys at FATF must come out of short-term calculations on pushing states to do a 100% delivery over SOPs, without considering all ground realities that any nation facing. There is a time when, “Sahib must not to act like a Sahib” as George Orwell had opinion but one must take each issue using sense of George Bernard Shaw.

One must realise unless there is peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan don’t get some serious support to manage issue of illegal undocumented immigrants, country will not be that successful in fixing issue of non-compliance on list of FATF; because both two major factors are leading to high demand for money laundering and slip terror financing. At least with peace in Afghanistan, Pakistan and rest of the world will easily come to an ease time to control finance being used for terrorism and conflict. Though, it will serve Pakistani government and its people more than others, as country will be on to the high marks in her compliance to FATF recommendations and regulations. Here comes serious responsibility of FATF on their side to visit each case they take with a consideration based on holistic terms. One must not forget that there is need to support Pakistan, by helping in its capacity building on financial regulations. Further, it must be looked that a country that sacrificed 80000 people, over $120bn economy, pressures and more faced by people living here by joining their war on terror. Further, these threats of blacklisting will never help it or even to others. But, such illogical and SOP based push against a country without taking on her unique situations, only will add in new chaos. If George Bernard Shaw, was alive today, he must have been advising FATF top brains, not to threat a nation again and again, when very nation holding sensitive position, exhausted financially by fighting a war into its boundaries, feeding millions of Afghans, taking burden of illegal immigrants that more leading to crimes of money laundering and terror financing in some cases (that must not be a rocket science to find such chances of happening).

Even case of crime increase in presence of illegal immigrants is something world economic superpower of our time, a military & security might, could not manage that effectively and more over world must not forget that any serious consequences for Pakistani economy will put serious strains over her nuclear security. Brains at FATF must find that Pakistan paying its responsibilities efficiently but its brink towards economic threshold can result in many unwanted consequences for Pakistani nation. Guys there at FATF must come out of short-term calculations on pushing state to 100% delivery over SOPs without considering all ground realities faced by Pakistan. This is a time, when a “Sahib is not to act like a Sahib” as George Orwell had opinion but one must take each issue about states by using very sense of George Bernard Shaw.

One must realise that unless there is peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan don’t get some serious support to manage issue of illegal, undocumented immigrants, Pakistan will not be that successful in fixing problems of non-compliance on list of FATF, because both two major factors are leading to high demand for money laundering and slip terror financing. At least with peace in Afghanistan, Pakistan and rest of the world will easily be getting free muscles be used towards efficient and safe financial flow, without fears to reach money towards terror financing and being used for crimes in our world.