Pakistan and UK agree to enhance counterterrorism cooperation, strengthen immigration control

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK) have agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of counter-terrorism, organized crime and prevention of illegal immigration, the Pakistani interior ministry said on Saturday.
The understanding to this effect was reached during Naqvi’s visit to the UK, where he visited the National Crime Agency (NCA), Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and National Situation Center in London.
The Pakistani interior minister held meetings with NCA Director-General James Babbage, and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Director-General Jonathan Allen, according to the Pakistani interior ministry.
“During the meetings, it was agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of counter-terrorism, organized crime, and cybersecurity was also discussed during the meetings,” the ministry said in a statement.
“It was agreed to enhance cooperation in areas such as drug trafficking, cybercrime, illegal immigration and anti-narcotics.”
Naqvi welcomed the UK’s cooperation in combating the challenge of cybercrime and emphasized the need to adopt a common strategy to deal with the challenge of militancy, according to the interior ministry statement.
Naqvi later visited the National Situation Center, where he was briefed how the center plays a fully active role and monitors the situation in case of a crisis.
The Pakistani interior minister is currently on an official visit to the United Kingdom. During his visit, Pakistan and the UK have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to improve coordination between their law enforcement agencies to help combat illegal migration and foster cooperation in drug-prevention. The initiative will also help improve cooperation in combating illicit financial threats and tracking crimes along air and sea borders.
The UK signed a major deal with Pakistan in 2022 under which foreign criminals and immigration offenders from the UK can be returned to Pakistan. Under the new plan, Pakistani nationals with no legal right to remain in the UK, including criminals, failed asylum seekers and immigration offenders, can be removed.
Pakistanis make up the seventh largest number of foreign criminals in prisons in England and Wales, totaling nearly 3 percent of the foreign national offender population.