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LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has established Financial Action Task Force (FATF) desks across all its wings and zones by expanding the existing FATF secretariat at the Anti-Money Laundering Directorate, as part of the country’s upcoming evaluation by the global anti-money laundering watchdog next year.
The move is intended to improve the effective implementation of international standards with regard to investigations into money laundering, terrorism financing and predicate offences.
“This significant step will also improve the quality of investigations and prosecutions, data maintenance, timely generation of international cooperation requests, prompt inter-agency coordination and effective feedback mechanisms,” a senior FIA official told Dawn on Tuesday.
According to the official, FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar has instructed all zones and specialised wings to set up FATF desks within seven days, to ensure full compliance with international standards and avoid any deficiencies during the country’s assessment, expected in the last quarter of 2027.
