Pakistan, UK discuss counterterrorism, security cooperation to tackle cross-border crime
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK) have held talks on counterterrorism and security cooperation as both countries seek to promote bilateral cooperation to combat cross-border crimes, state media reported on Friday.
The second round of the Pakistan-UK Counter Terrorism Dialogue took place in London in February 2025, reviewing global and regional threats and exchanging best practices. Over the years, the armed forces of both countries have also maintained close cooperation, particularly in counterterrorism efforts and professional military training.
'During the meeting discussions were held on Pakistan-UK relations, including enhancing cooperation in counterterrorism, security and preventing cross-border crimes,' Radio Pakistan said in a report following a meeting between Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and British Under Secretary of State for Faith, Communities and Resettlement Lord Wajid Khan.
Earlier this month, Rana Sanaullah, an adviser to Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, had met British High Commissioner Jane Marriott to discuss enhancing security cooperation between the two countries and adopting a joint strategy against 'terrorism.'
Last June, Pakistan and the UK agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of organized crime and the prevention of illegal immigration during Naqvi's meeting with National Crime Agency Director-General James Babbage and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Director-General Jonathan Allen.
In 2022, the UK signed an agreement with Pakistan allowing the return of foreign criminals and immigration offenders from the UK. Under this arrangement, Pakistani nationals with no legal right to stay in the UK including criminals, failed asylum seekers and immigration violators, can be deported.
Pakistanis currently represent the seventh-largest group of foreign criminals in prisons across England and Wales, accounting for nearly 3 percent of the foreign national offender population.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
18 minutes ago
- Arab News
UK think tank calls for national strategy to tackle anti-Muslim hatred, rebuild social cohesion
LONDON: A new report from the think tank Equi released Monday has urged the UK government to adopt a coordinated national strategy to address anti-Muslim hatred, while warning that social division is harming trust in institutions and threatening the country's cohesion. Released as British Muslims marked Eid Al-Adha, the report highlighted growing levels of anti-Muslim narratives and attacks, but also pointed to polling by Savanta/ComRes that showed that the majority of Britons hold either neutral or positive views toward Muslims. A PDF Embed Here Equi argued that this provided a foundation for progress, and said that building trust, inclusion and civic resilience must be treated as a national priority. 'Britain's diverse and welcoming cultural identity is one of its greatest strengths. But we cannot leave social cohesion to chance,' said Prof. Javed Khan, managing director of Equi. 'Failing to address social division is not only unjust but fiscally draining, at a time when resources are scarce,' he added. The report identified anti-Muslim hatred as a key barrier to intercommunity trust, particularly in the aftermath of flashpoints such as the 2024 summer riots. It estimated the cost of anti-Muslim hatred last year at a minimum of £243 million ($328.9 million), including expenses linked to policing, imprisonment, and insurance claims. The report also pointed to alienating government policies, such as Prevent, and rising misinformation as major factors eroding social trust. Many British Muslims, it noted, feel disproportionately scrutinized and disconnected from wider society. Among its recommendations, Equi called for a strategic program of public awareness campaigns to counter misinformation and stereotypes, combined with cross-government engagement with local authorities, faith groups and civil society organizations to help rebuild trust. It also advocated for increased investment in youth and community initiatives that promoted shared experiences and inclusive participation as a means of strengthening intercommunity ties. 'Knowing most Britons are not getting sucked into divisive language that can destroy community relations should give us great hope. The government should use its unique platform to articulate a unifying vision for the nation; one that focuses not on responding to division, but on championing shared values like respect, equality and liberty,' Khan said. 'As Britain's 4 million Muslims celebrated Eid, this report provides a timely and urgent reminder that with clear focus and leadership, a stronger, peaceful and cohesive UK is within reach.'
Arab News
30 minutes ago
- Arab News
ABC News suspends journalist who called Trump, top aide ‘world-class' haters
LONDON: ABC News has suspended one of its senior national correspondents after he published a series of now-deleted social media posts in which he described US President Donald Trump and top adviser Stephen Miller as 'world-class haters.' Veteran journalist Terry Moran, who recently interviewed Trump, wrote in the posts that both the president and the White House deputy chief of staff — known as the architect of the administration's mass deportation policy — were driven by deep animosity toward their political opponents. An ABC News spokesperson, in a statement on Sunday, confirmed Moran's suspension 'pending further evaluation,' and said the network 'stands for objectivity and impartiality in its news coverage and does not condone subjective personal attacks on others.' The spokesperson added: 'The post does not reflect the views of ABC News and violated our standards.' Moran claimed in the tweets that Miller 'is not the brains behind' Trumpism, but rather someone who channels its 'impulses' into policy through sheer malice. He wrote: 'It's not brains. It's bile. Miller is a man who is richly endowed with the capacity for hatred. He's a world-class hater.' Moran added: 'You can see that his hatreds are his spiritual nourishment. He eats his hate.' Turning to Trump, Moran wrote: 'Trump is a world-class hater. But his hatred (is) only a means to an end, and that end (is) his own glorification.' The posts sparked a backlash from conservative figures and further deepened tensions between ABC News, owned by The Walt Disney Company, and Trump's allies. The network last year agreed to pay $16 million to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by Trump over comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos, in what was seen as a rare concession by a major broadcaster. Reacting to Moran's comments, Vice President JD Vance called them a 'vile smear,' and added: 'It's dripping with hatred.' Miller also responded, saying: 'The most important fact about Terry's full public meltdown is what it shows about the corporate press in America. For decades, the privileged anchors and reporters narrating and gatekeeping our society have been radicals adopting a journalist's pose. Terry pulled off his mask.' Moran's posts came as the Trump administration, reportedly under Miller's strategic direction, ramped up rhetoric around immigration and called for expanded deportation efforts. Raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in recent weeks across major US cities, including Los Angeles, have reignited public protests. Some demonstrations outside the federal building in downtown LA have turned violent amid unconfirmed reports that detainees were being held inside. ABC News has not announced when or whether Moran will return to the network.
Saudi Gazette
4 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Police arrest about 60 people in San Francisco after protests on ICE's raids turn violent
LOS ANGELES — Around 60 people, including people under the age of 18, were arrested Sunday in San Francisco after protests outside the Immigration Services building turned violent, authorities said. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside ICE's offices to rally against the agency's raids and deportations across California and the US, CNN affiliate KGO reported. The demonstration, initially peaceful, escalated into a tense standoff with San Francisco police officers in riot gear. 'We've been watching what's going on in LA, and we're like, no,' Nancy Kato, one of the protesters, told KGO. 'The whole thing about going after immigrants and people who are undocumented, the most vulnerable of our populations that is so wrong.' The protests began near Sansome and Washington streets — close to the city's Financial District — around 7:01 p.m., where San Francisco Police officers were monitoring the demonstration, the department said. The gathering escalated as some protesters, according to police, vandalized property, committed assaults, and caused other damage. Authorities declared the event an 'unlawful assembly,' leading many to leave, though some stayed behind. Two officers were injured, and one was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The group eventually made its way to Market and Kearny streets, where protesters damaged buildings and an SFPD patrol car. A smaller group later gathered on Montgomery Street and refused to leave after being ordered to disperse. Police moved to detain people they say didn't comply. Police said it recovered one firearm at the scene. 'Individuals are always free to exercise their First Amendment rights in San Francisco,' the SFPD said in a statement. 'But violence — especially against SFPD officers — will never be tolerated.' The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not released additional details. Police are urging businesses and residents in Downtown Los Angeles to report 'any vandalism, damage or looting,' hours after police said they were investigating possible looting in the city's Financial District. On X, the LAPD said reporting the incidents will allow the department to officially document damage that occurs during the ongoing protests. 'Please photograph all vandalism and damage prior to clean up,' the LAPD wrote. Meanwhile, a British news photographer is recovering from emergency surgery after being struck by a non-lethal round while covering protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles, PA Media, the UK's national news agency, reported on Monday. Nick Stern was documenting a standoff on Saturday between protesters and police outside a Home Depot in Paramount, a city in Los Angeles County known as a hiring site for day laborers, when a 14mm 'sponge bullet' tore into his thigh, the agency reported. 'My initial concern was, were they firing live rounds?' Stern told PA. 'Some of the protesters came and helped me, and they ended up carrying me, and I noticed that there was blood pouring down my leg.' After receiving first aid from a medic who urged him to seek hospital care, Stern says he passed out from the pain. He is now recovering at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. Stern, who emigrated to the United States in 2007, said he typically makes himself 'as visible as possible' while working in hostile environments. 'That way you're less likely to get hit because they know you're media.' He says he sustained 'substantial' bruising after being struck by another round during the George Floyd protests in 2020. 'An outside organization like ICE coming in and removing — whatever you want to call it, removing, kidnapping, abducting people from the community — is not going to go down well at all,' he said. 'I intend, as soon as I am well enough, to get back out there,' he said. 'This is too important, and it needs documenting.' — CNN
