Qureshi briefs Pompeo about addressing FATF concerns: FO

 Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday briefed his American counterpart Mike Pompeo about the steps taken by Islamabad to address the concerns raised by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), including curbing terror funding activities in the country.

Qureshi, who is on an official visit to the UK, had a telephonic call with Pompeo to discuss bilateral relations and regional peace and security, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office here.

Paris-based international terror financing watchdog FATF in June last year placed Pakistan onto its watch list in a bid to push the country to halt support for militant groups.

In February, the FATF decided to continue the 'Grey' listing of Pakistan for its failure to stop funding of terrorist groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamat ud Dawa (JuD).

A 10-member Pakistani delegation last month attended a two-day meeting of FATF's Asia-Pacific Group (APG) in Guangzhou, China where it defended Pakistan's efforts against money laundering and terror financing.

“He also spoke about the steps that Pakistan has been taking for compliance with the FATF action plan. In this context, he highlighted the regulatory mechanisms that have been put in place to curb money laundering and terror financing practices,” the statement said.

In March, bowing down to international pressure, Pakistan launched a major crackdown on JeM, JuD, Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation and other banned outfits and took over the control of their assets throughout the country.

Qureshi also briefed Pompeo about the steps being taken by Pakistan in accordance with the National Action Plan to counter terrorism and the initiatives to carry out economic restructuring.

The two sides also discussed the reconciliation process in Afghanistan and expressed commitment to work towards bringing lasting peace in the region.

Underscoring the importance of a peaceful Afghanistan as vital for regional peace and stability, he reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve to play a positive role in this process and support an intra-Afghan dialogue.

He also highlighted the Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) as a mechanism for strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries and to have constructive engagement.

Qureshi underlined the high importance Pakistan attaches to peace with all its neighbours and reiterated the government's priority to resolve all outstanding disputes through dialogue and engagement, the FO statement said without naming any country.

Qureshi is in UK on an official visit and met home secretary Sajid Javid to discuss various bilateral issued. The two sides also on Monday kicked off the first round of long-ranging strategic dialogue to deepen cooperation.