LONDON: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, and the UK’s Home Secretary James Cleverly witnessed the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) to cooperate on illegal migration between the Governments of the United Kingdom and Pakistan.
Acting on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, High Commissioner Dr. Mohammad Faisal signed the LOI here at the Home Office in London.
The LOI aims to foster collaboration between Pakistan and the UK in addressing law enforcement and criminal justice issues. The LOI specifically addresses combating illegal migration and organized immigration crime, as well as exploring future opportunities for mutual benefit.
Moreover, it seeks to facilitate cooperation between law enforcement agencies in both countries to combat transnational crime, including narcotics control and investigations into serious criminal activities and organized immigration crime.
Under the agreed implementation mechanism, cooperation will be overseen by a joint Steering Committee chaired by the Ministry of Interior, with representatives from relevant agencies from both countries.
This agreement will enhance cooperation in sharing international criminal conviction data and analytics to develop preemptive crime prevention plans. It will also improve joint efforts to tackle illicit finance threats, enhance border security to detect criminality, and facilitate extradition requests between the UK and Pakistan.
Moreover, it aims to raise awareness and understanding of the mutual legal assistance process in both countries.
Capacity building is an integral part of the LOI, encompassing activities such as information and knowledge exchange, expert exchanges, training programs, joint projects, and provision of specific equipment. Progress will be reviewed annually to monitor achievements under the LOI.
During their bilateral meeting, Minister for Interior Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi and UK’s Home Secretary James Cleverly discussed measures to further strengthen Pakistan-UK relations and collaboration on joint issue resolution.
Minister Naqvi emphasized the long-standing partnership between Pakistan and the UK, noting unprecedented levels of government-to-government and people-to-people contacts.
Home Secretary Cleverly expressed the UK’s appreciation for Pakistan’s support in evacuating British citizens from Afghanistan. He also acknowledged the significant contributions of the Pakistani diaspora to the cultural, social, and economic fabric of the UK. Cleverly commended Minister Naqvi’s dedication to public service during his tenure as Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab.
The meeting was attended by High Commissioner of Pakistan to the UK, Dr. Mohammad Faisal, UK’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, and senior officials from both countries.
لندن۔وفاقی وزیرداخلہ محسن نقوی کا دورہ برطانیہ
وفاقی وزیرداخلہ محسن نقوی کی برطانیہ کے وزیر داخلہ جیمز کلیورلی سے ملاقات
دونوں وزراء داخلہ کی موجودگی میں برطانیہ اور پاکستان کی حکومتوں کے درمیان لیٹر آف انٹینٹ (LOI) پر دستخط pic.twitter.com/OC2PVRW1w8— Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) May 31, 2024
