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FATF chief Elisa de Anda Madrazo warned Pakistan that its 2022 greylist exit doesn't make it immune to terror financing, urging continued vigilance as reports surface of digital funding networks.
FATF President Elisa de Anda Madrazo said countries like Pakistan must remain vigilant and committed to combating illicit financial activity even after delisting.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Oct 25, 2025 05:40 IST
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has cautioned Pakistan that its removal from the grey list in October 2022 does not grant immunity from global scrutiny on terror financing and money laundering.
Speaking at a press conference in France after the FATF’s plenary session, President Elisa de Anda Madrazo said countries like Pakistan must remain vigilant and committed to combating illicit financial activity even after delisting.
“Any country that has been on the grey list is not bulletproof against the actions of criminals — be they money launderers or terrorists,” Madrazo said. “We invite all jurisdictions, including those that have been delisted, to continue their good work to prevent and deter such crimes.”
‘STAY THE COURSE' AFTER GREYLIST EXIT
Madrazo’s remarks were seen as a pointed reminder to Islamabad, which was removed from the FATF’s increased monitoring list after four years of compliance reviews. Pakistan remains under follow-up evaluation by the Asia Pacific Group (APG) to ensure it continues enforcing anti-terror financing standards.
“Delisting is not the end of the process,” Madrazo added. “We expect countries to strengthen their systems and close the loopholes that criminals exploit.”
Her comments come amid reports that Pakistan-based terror groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) are using digital wallets and masked financial flows to fund training camps — an emerging risk flagged in the FATF’s recent ‘Comprehensive Update on Terrorist Financing Risks’ report.
INDIA FLAGS PAKISTAN AS 'HIGH-RISK TERROR SOURCE
India’s Risk Assessment 2022 has identified Pakistan as a high-risk source of terror financing, particularly through entities linked to the state-run Development Complex (NDC).
The FATF report, which includes Indian inputs, underscores ongoing regional threats from state-sponsored terrorism and proliferation financing.
“The FATF remains committed to strengthening global standards and ensuring implementation through assessments and monitoring,” Madrazo said. “Our aim is simple — to deprive terrorists and criminals of the funds they rely on.”
The Paris plenary concluded with the adoption of two new mutual evaluation reports under updated, results-based criteria.Belgium and Malaysia were the first members assessed under the new framework, which emphasizes concrete outcomes over procedural compliance.
The FATF also announced the removal of Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Africa from the grey list after completing their action plans.
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Published By:
Nitish Singh
Published On:
Oct 25, 2025
