In supporting every wrong by Pakistan, Turkey trying to emerge as a new radical Islamic axis

New Delhi, Oct 26: Turkey was Pakistan's lone supporter at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary which had last week kept Islamabad in the grey list.

Turkey had tried everything possible to ensure that Pakistan is let off. It even suggested a special visit to Islamabad to make an onsite assessment of Pakistan's implementation of measures to curb terror funding. It was seen more as an effort to plug holes in the legal framework to curb terror funding.

The suggestion was aimed at letting Pakistan off and placing it on the white list. However the same was not backed by China and Malaysia. The hard push to back Pakistan is a clear attempt that Turkey is making to emerge as the new radical Islamic axis and upstage Saudi Arabia.

While Saudi Arabia and China also spoke for Pakistan to be removed from the grey list on technical grounds only Turkey was left to support Islamabad. This clearly shows the newfound radical Islamic nexus between the two countries, officials told OneIndia.

The virtual plenary of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), held in the last three days, concluded that Pakistan will continue in its ''grey'' list.

The decision has been taken after a thorough review of Pakistan''s performance in fulfilling the global commitments and standards on the fight against money laundering and terror financing.

"Pakistan remains in the increased monitoring list or the grey list," FATF president Marcus Pleyer said at a virtual press conference from Paris.

Pakistan failed to fulfil six of the 27 mandates so far as a result of which the country continues to be in the grey list of the FATF.

"Pakistan failed to fulfil six of the 27 mandates given to check terror funding," Pleyer said.

The FATF chief said Islamabad must impose sanction and prosecute those involved in terror financing.

"Pakistan needs to do more on checking terror funding, it can't stop now," he said.