FATF decided Pakistan’s case on political grounds: Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has once again raised fingers on Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) decision against removing Pakistan from the grey list and said that if it were a technical decision then the country would have been added to the white list.

“Now FATF members and the world will have to decide if it is a technical or a politically motivated forum,” he said while addressing the media on Sunday.

He said that India tried to politicise the FATF for political gains to keep Pakistan in the grey list. Qureshi said some forces want the sword of FATF hanging on Pakistan. He hoped that soon Pakistan would be in the white list as the entire action plan of FATF has been implemented.

The foreign minister said that even FATF members have admitted that Pakistan has shown compliance with 26 out of 27 points of the action plan from the anti-money laundering watchdog.

He further rejected that the PTI government is responsible for the inclusion of Pakistan on the FATF grey list and said that it was during PML-N’s tenure when the country was added to the list.

“Rather during our tenure, we amended 14 laws and introduced some new ones to show compliance on FATF action plan,” Qureshi said.

Speaking on South Punjab issues, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that a piece of land has been identified for the Bahawalpur secretariat and after the South Punjab secretariat in Multan, its foundation would also be laid by the incumbent government. “We have identified a 30-acre land in Bahawalpur for a secretariat and soon its foundation will be laid,” he said.

The foreign minister said that the establishment of a GOR and a secretariat will be established on 63-acre land that has been transferred for the purpose. He said that Rs189 billion have been earmarked for South Punjab uplift projects and they would ensure that the money is spent on the projects announced.

“We have fulfilled our promise of a separate development plan for South Punjab and will ensure that every single penny of it would be spent by the end of the fiscal year,” the PTI vice chairman said, adding that being the top party leader he is responsible for ensuring enforcement of PTI’s political agenda.

Talking about Afghanistan, the foreign minister expressed fear that a civil strife could be started after the withdrawal of US forces which will lead to destabilisation in the region. He said Pakistan wants a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan which will bring stability in the entire region. He said Pakistan Army has eliminated terrorism from the country after rendering numerous sacrifices.

Earlier on Saturday, Foreign Minister Qureshi lauded the efforts of the diplomatic corp in effectively pursuing the objectives of the country’s foreign policy, saying that every member of the service was highly committed to achieving the goals in the national interest.

“Despite financial strains, each and every man and woman officer at the Foreign Office stands firm while defending the front of foreign policy,” the foreign minister said while speaking at the floor of the National Assembly.

He spoke highly of the “committed” officials of the Foreign Office and paid rich tributes to them on behalf of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government.

He advised the officials to keep up the good work and stay strong during difficult situations.

“Never get deterred by difficult times because if Almighty wants, He can [help the defender] defeat stronger [enemies],” he said while giving reference to a Quranic account when a flock of Ababeel birds began to throw the stones on Abraha’s army so fiercely that his army was forced to step back and run away.

In May, Imran, in a video conference with ambassadors aired on television, lashed out at the Foreign Service officers for not serving the expatriate community well and harbouring a “colonial” mindset.

He was in particular critical of the missions in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which host the largest Pakistan communities overseas, but the way the comments were delivered made it look like a censure of the entire foreign service.

The remarks then followed the suspension of now-former ambassador to Saudi Arabia Raja Ali Ejaz and the recall of six diplomats from the embassy in Riyadh over community complaints.

The comments roiled the diplomats, who conveyed their anger to the government through different channels — both official and unofficial.

Qureshi had held a meeting with the officers in an attempt to pacify them and explain the prime minister’s statement.

Several well-known retired officers criticised the prime minister’s remarks. Association of Former Ambassadors President Inamul Haque, in a letter to the prime minister, rejected his televised remarks, saying that the “public reprimand was ill-advised and reflected a lack of understanding of the work that our diplomatic missions are performing despite major constraints and impediments”.

He said that denouncing an entire institution, without a proper and impartial investigation, was “unconscionable”.

S PUNJAB PROVINCE PROMISE TO BE HONOURED:

Seperately, Qureshi said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government will honour its electoral promise of granting provincial status to South Punjab.

“The demand to convert South Punjab into a province is beyond every discrimination,” Qureshi said in an address to a gathering at the South Punjab Secretariat, Tribune reported.

“The government will materialise its promise made to the people of the region,” he added.

According to the minister, the formation of a separate province will be the beginning of the fastest development in the region.

“In order to turn the fate of the area around, it is imperative for all powers to be moved to the South Punjab secretariat.

“It is PTI’s agenda to ensure equal progress in every city and town of South Punjab,” Qureshi said, likening the allocation of 33 per cent of budget for the area with the first drop of rain.

He hoped that the separate budget will help the process compensate for the deprivations of the region’s people.

The minister stressed timely completion of development projects to ensure their effects trickle down to the people.

“In order to spend development funds on the projects, it’s essential to begin planning for the same,” he emphasised.

“Not a rupee meant for the development budget of the area will be allowed to go to waste,” he remarked.

“It remains to be seen who deprived South Punjab. In whose era were the funds diverted elsewhere unfairly? In whose era was the slogan, ‘We are prisoners of the throne in Lahore’ popular?” the foreign minister had said.

Qureshi said that the PTI government had taken two major decisions regarding South Punjab in the last two-and-a-half years.

“Two administrative secretariats have been set up in Multan and Bahawalpur to devolve power to lower levels. Special funds have been allocated for South Punjab which will be spent on construction and its development,” he was reported as saying.