Pakistan's FIA Establishes FATF Desks Across All Zones Ahead of 2027 Global Evaluation
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has established Financial Action Task Force (FATF) desks across all its zones and wings to strengthen compliance with international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards. The expansion comes as Pakistan prepares for a global evaluation by FATF in late 2027, following its removal from the grey list in 2022. The move aims to improve investigation quality, inter-agency coordination, and Pakistan's standing with international financial institutions.
The FIA has expanded its existing FATF secretariat by establishing dedicated desks across all zones and specialized wings, with each desk to be headed by an officer of at least Assistant Director rank. The initiative includes seven functional units: the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Investigation Monitoring Unit (IMU), International Cooperation Unit (ICU), Inter-Agency Coordination Unit (IACU), Risk Assessment Unit (RAU), Seizure and Confiscation Unit (SCU), and Forensics and Virtual Assets Unit (FVAU). Pakistan was placed on FATF's enhanced monitoring list in 2018 but successfully exited in October 2022 after demonstrating compliance with a 27-point action plan, which improved investor confidence and supported IMF negotiations. The new desks are designed to enhance the quality of investigations and prosecutions, maintain better data, facilitate international cooperation requests, and ensure prompt coordination among law enforcement and regulatory agencies. FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar has instructed all zones to establish these desks within seven days to ensure full compliance ahead of the expected assessment in the last quarter of 2027.
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- DawnCenter
FIA establishes FATF desks across all zones to improve implementation of international investigation standards
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