Pakistan and UK Deepen Counterterrorism Cooperation
Pakistan and the United Kingdom have agreed to deepen counterterrorism cooperation, alongside closer work on anti-narcotics, cybercrime and immigration.
The understanding was reached on Friday during delegation-level talks between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and visiting British Minister of State for Security Dan Jarvis at the Ministry of Interior in Islamabad.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudry also attended the meeting, according to the interior ministry.
Anti-narcotics pact with Britain’s NCA
The two sides decided to finalise at the earliest a memorandum of understanding on anti-narcotics cooperation. The pact would fully operationalise cooperation between the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).
Naqvi told the British minister that Pakistan had foiled 330 cases of narcotics smuggling to the UK over the past few years.
The two sides also agreed to convene soon a meeting of the working group set up between the interior ministries of the two countries.
Immigration, cybercrime and serious crime
Jarvis praised the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for its work in curbing illegal immigration. He also acknowledged Pakistan’s sacrifices and efforts in the war against terrorism.
He said cybercrime was an international challenge, and all countries would have to work together to deal with it. He added that Pakistan and the UK enjoyed excellent cooperation in various fields, and both sides wanted to expand it further.
Naqvi welcomed the progress made under the UK-Pakistan Serious Crime and Law Enforcement Project, a bilateral initiative on law enforcement and security. He said it was proving extremely important in building the capacity of Pakistani institutions.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott and other British officials attended the meeting.
A first visit focused on security
Jarvis is on his first visit to Pakistan. His talks cover regional stability, counter-terrorism, serious organised crime, illegal migration and visa fraud.
He met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Naqvi on Thursday. Before that, Pakistan and the UK had voiced concern about terrorism emanating from Afghanistan during their annual bilateral counter-terrorism dialogue in Islamabad.
Why counterterrorism cooperation matters for Pakistan
The agreement touches issues that affect Pakistanis directly. Illegal migration and visa fraud shape how Pakistanis travel to Britain, while narcotics smuggling has long strained the route between the two countries.
The planned NCA-ANF pact would give the two agencies a formal channel to share intelligence and run joint action against trafficking networks. The 330 foiled smuggling cases cited by Naqvi show the scale of the trade the two sides are trying to stop.
Cybercrime is also on the agenda. Both countries face online fraud, data theft and organised scams, and the talks recognised that no country can tackle those threats alone.
Pakistan’s security cooperation with other partners is also growing. Islamabad and Dushanbe recently concluded the Dosti-III counterterrorism exercise at Cherat, while Pakistan has pressed for dialogue to defuse tensions with Iran. At the United Nations, a Pakistan-led statement urging diplomacy during wars was adopted by the Security Council.
What did Pakistan and the UK agree?
To deepen cooperation on counterterrorism, anti-narcotics, cybercrime and immigration, and to finalise an anti-narcotics pact between the NCA and the ANF.
How many narcotics cases has Pakistan foiled?
Pakistan has foiled 330 cases of narcotics smuggling to the UK over the past few years, according to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
What is the UK-Pakistan Serious Crime and Law Enforcement Project?
A bilateral law enforcement and security initiative that Naqvi said was proving extremely important in building the capacity of Pakistani institutions.
Who attended the talks?
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudry, British security minister Dan Jarvis, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott and other British officials.
