FATF praises France’s announcement of sanctions against Pak-based terrorist Masood Azhar

Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which works as the anti-terror financing agency, has praised France’s prompt announcement of sanctions against Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Azhar after the Pulwama terror attack in 2019.

Over 40 personnel of India’s Central Reserve Polic Force(CRPF) were killed in the Pulwama terror attack on February 14, 2019. The attack was perpetrated by UN-listed Pakistan based terror organization Jaish-e-Mohammed.

As per the report of FATF mutual evaluation, “France adopted a national freezing measure on March 15 against Mohamed Masood Azhar Alvi, the founder and leader of that organization”, and Paris “subsequently proposed a draft European listing while supporting a United Nations 1267 listing, which was obtained on May 1 2019.”

The mutual evaluation report noted out how France has played an “active role in the international sanctions policy & designations on UN lists.”

The process of French national listing includes targets being identified by the intelligence agencies who send their proposed listings to the coordination unit of the fight against terrorism or UCLAT. This process assures that there are no objections to the suggestion by an intelligence agency & judicial body.

Tracfin, a unit under the France ministry of the economy, also adds its suggestions, including providing details on the possible existence of assets in France in advance.