State Bank of Pakistan rejects claim that FATF identified Raast as a money laundering channel

The State Bank of Pakistan has issued a clarification rejecting a social media headline suggesting that the Financial Action Task Force identified Raast as a money laundering channel. The FATF report neither characterizes Raast as a money laundering mechanism nor raises specific concerns about the payment infrastructure’s integrity. The report addresses the potential misuse of formal banking and payment channels by underground banking and hawala networks across multiple jurisdictions. Raast is referenced only as a legitimate channel for domestic payments and transfers and does not currently facilitate cross-border transfers.