Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan and the United Kingdom have agreed to enhance their cooperation to tackle illegal immigration, online child harassment and other serious crimes.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a high-level meeting in Islamabad, chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, where officials from both sides discussed the progress under the UK-Pakistan Serious Crime and Law Enforcement Program (UPSCALE).
The meeting focused on reviewing progress under the program. Officials from UPSCALE, including Ken Daines, Neil Fowler, Habib Gul and Fizza Waheed, participated in the meeting along with senior officers from the Interior Ministry and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The participants reviewed measures taken to address major issues like illegal immigration, mutual legal assistance, extradition, criminal record sharing, online child harassment, illegal funding, and anti-narcotics initiatives.
Naqvi stressed the need for stronger coordination and joint measures to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking. “Illegal immigration is a top priority, and coordinated actions must be made to prevent it,” he said.
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He also emphasized the significance of dealing firmly with online child harassment. “Swift and strict actions must be taken in such incidents, and all available resources will be employed to protect children online,” he said.
To tighten border control, the Interior Minister announced that deported persons involved in illegal migration would now be added to the passport control list for 5 years. The proposal to include sex offenders to the list is also in place.
Appreciating the UK’s support, he welcomed continued cooperation. “Mutual collaboration is necessary to combat illegal immigration. We value UK help in this regard,” he said.
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Naqvi also underlined improvements made in mutual legal assistance rules between Pakistan and UK, which have yielded “very positive” results.
The meeting was updated on the progress of the UPSCALE program, including the functioning of a dedicated delivery unit and the launch of the first sex offender registry in Pakistan.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
