Pakistan remembers Senator Rehman Malik as Pakistan gets FATF clean chit

Malik Zahid Awan

On October 20, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) announced the removal of Pakistan from its grey list. In fact, the news of Pakistan’s delisting was a source of joy for every Pakistani as the country faced difficulties for a long time and fought hard to get out. If we take a deep look at the last few decades, we find that Pakistan has suffered the most economically in the war against terrorism, which has not only damaged the country’s infrastructure but also lost more than 7500 lives of troops and civilians. In war on terror, Pakistan support was more than any country and also its sacrifices. Keeping in view the countless sacrifices and unmatched support in war on terror, Pakistan never thought it would dragged into FATF for a long period.

Removal of Pakistan from the gray list of FATF is indeed a great achievement of the present government, especially the tireless efforts of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are commendable. The announcement of Pakistan’s delisting from the gray list reminded me of former Interior Minister late Abdul Rehman Malik since he had held several pressers at his residence on the issue, wrote many letters to international dignitaries including the Secretary General of United Nations.

I can safely claim that I have never found any other Pakistani leader as concerned about the FATF issue as I found late Senator A. Rehman Malik. He always termed it as discrimination against Pakistan and tried his best to convey the sentiments of Pakistani people through his letters to President FATF. When the corona virus broke out in Pakistan, he appealed to the UN Secretary General to influence the FATF to remove Pakistan’s name from the FATF gray list as the country can’t afford further victimization. He raised this issue at every forum and propagated the soft image of Pakistan and advocated for Pakistan at every forum.

It gave me immense pleasures to read Late Senator A. Rehman Malik’ younger son Umar Rehman Malik tweet: “Alhumdullilah. Happy that my father’s dream came true as he fought hard in his life to get ???? off FATF gray list. From 2019 to last breath, he continued to write letters to President FATF & Int’l dignitaries urging to remove Pakistan from gray-list & wrote articles/held pressers”.