Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal/File photo 

LAHORE: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday said the bid by some western countries to place Pakistan on a global terrorist-financing watchlist is a political act.

Speaking to media in Lahore, the interior minister said the West wants to pressurise Pakistan to achieve certain objectives, because of which it is pushing to place the country on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) watchlist.

The United States earlier this month put forward a motion to place Pakistan on the FATF watchlist. The FATF, an intergovernmental body based in Paris, sets global standards for fighting illicit finance.

Iqbal shared concern that such pressure tactics would negatively impact Pakistan?s efforts in the war against terrorism.

Pakistan has been scrambling in recent months to avert being added to a list of countries deemed non-compliant with terrorist financing regulations by the FATF, a measure that officials fear could hurt its economy.

US moves to put Pakistan on global terrorist-financing watchlist

A meeting of FATF member states is due to take place next week in Paris, where the motion on Pakistan could be adopted

The country?s de facto finance minister, Miftah Ismail, said earlier this week that the United States and Britain put forward the motion, and later persuaded France and Germany to co-sponsor it. Pakistan was working with the US, UK, Germany and France for the nomination to be withdrawn, he added.

To a question, the interior minister said that the decision relating to placing of names on the Exit Control List (ECL) would be made on merit. He emphasised that the ECL should not be made a political tool.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday formally requested the Ministry of Interior to place former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar's names on the ECL, in connection to the references relating to Azizia Mills, Flagship and Avenfield properties.

Also read: NAB requests Nawaz Sharif, Maryam and Safdar to be placed on Exit Control List