German Envoy Sees FATF Relief For Pakistan This Month.

ISLAMABAD -- German Ambassador to Pakistan, Bernhard Schlagheck, hopes that Pakistan is expected to be cleared from the FATF grey list when the global anti-money laundering financial watchdog body meets in Berlin this month.

'GSP Plus status is likely to be renewed for Pakistan,' the German Ambassador told media persons here yesterday.

He said Pakistan has made progress in fulfilling the renewal for GSP plus status for another term. When asked about the ongoing human rights violations in India, the ambassador said, Germany was concerned over the state of human rights in India too. 'The European Union and Germany were unanimous about human rights violations in India, and Germany is telling it to India too,' Schlagheck said.

The ambassador said that the former German Chancellor Angela Mekeral had told the Indian PM Modi that the situation in Kashmir was not sustainable and human rights have to be respected without any discrimination.

When asked about Pakistan's status in FATF, the German ambassador lauded the progress made by Pakistan to meet the FATF conditions and expressed the confidence that the country will be out of the grey list this year.

The next review meeting is scheduled to be held in Berlin from June 14 to 17, and the ambassador suggested that the FATF teams should visit Pakistan to see the practical steps taken by Pakistan to meet the conditions and curb money laundering and other issues.

The German envoy brushed aside the concerns that certain lobbies were active in the FATF against Pakistan. He said that FATF was a collective forum and one country alone cannot influence decisions.

'It is a technical process and positive results regarding Pakistan are expected,' he added.

He stopped short of criticising India over the missile...