Punjab Police, FIA to join forces to achieve FATF targets

Lahore: Inspector General of Police Punjab Inam Ghani has said that rooting out anti-social elements financing terrorists including illegal acquisition and transfer of capital is one of the top priorities of Punjab Police for which Punjab Police, FIA and other national agencies will continue mutual operations.

  He further said that Punjab Police has played its full role in bringing Pakistan to the best position in the world by fulfilling the targets set by FATF regarding money laundering as per the guidelines of Government of Pakistan.    He further said that capital is obtained from illegal sources for the completion of other serious crimes including terrorism and If the transfer of this capital is stopped, it is tantamount to breaking the backbone of terrorists. Therefore, in order to curb illegal acquisition and transfer of capital, actions shall be taken  against the accused involved in such  cases at all levels while Punjab Police and FIA are using all means including modern technology to trace the hidden assets of criminal elements. He further said  that  close coordination among  institutions is an important need of the hour to root out money laundering, illicit wealth and  criminal elements.  He added that action would also be taken against notorious occupation groups, drug dealers and criminals under the Money Laundering Act and against those involved in serious offenses  including kidnapping for ransom shall also be trialled under money laundering act.  He expressed these views while presiding over a high level meeting of Punjab Police and FIA at Central Police Office, Lahore to curb money laundering related crimes. The meeting reviewed in detail the targets given by FATF to eradicate money laundering.

 Speaking at the meeting, Additional DG, FIA, Abu Bakar Khuda Bakhsh said that Punjab Police and FIA would maintain close liaison regarding paralell financial investigation of cases and information sharing between Punjab Police and FIA alongwith  joint operations of the two forces will speed up the eradication of criminals involved in money laundering. Talking on the occasion, IG Punjab said that DIG Crimes Punjab, Sharaq Kamal Siddiqui and AIG Monitoring Ehsaan Ullah Chohan will have close coordination with the FIA in money laundering cases because the better and stronger the coordination between the agencies, the better the process of predicting the activities of criminals. Additional DG FIA Abu Bakar Khuda Bakhsh, Director FIA 1-Dr Muhammad Rizwan, Director FIA II-Athar Waheed, Additional Director Cyber Syed Shahid Hassan, Deputy Director Waqas Saeed while  from Punjab Police , Additional IG Investigation Fayyaz Ahmed Dev, Additional IG CTD Wasim Ahmed Khan, DIG, IT Waqas Nazir, DIG Crimes / Investigation Sharaq  Kamal Siddiqui and AIG Monitoring Ehsanullah Chauhan and other officers were present on this occasion.