Pakistan for information sharing to thwart terror threat to West
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday stressed the need for sharing of information and real-time intelligence from Britain to enable the Pakistan authorities to take pre-emptive measures against any possible threat to the UK and other Western countries from terrorists.
The Pakistan top leadership also told Ms Theresa May, UK home secretary and minister for women and equality, that Pakistan and Britain should consider recreation of a mechanism as well as parameters for cooperation between their security agencies.
Ms Theresa May separately called on President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. Matters relating to Pakistan-UK bilateral relations and cooperation, strategic dialogue, fight against militancy, floods relief and rehabilitation works, trade access to the EU for Pakistan’s goods, multifaceted collaboration between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, and various measures taken by the government for women development and empowerment were discussed in the meetings.
Talking to Theresa May at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Zardari said Pakistan and the United Kingdom had a common enemy and both shared a common stance to neutralise the threat posed by extremist elements.
He underlined the need for greater international cooperation to counter the menace. “The democratic dispensation evolved a domestic consensus against the extremist elements and all that is needed is capacity enhancement for effectively dealing with the threat of terrorism,” he added.
The president also appreciated the UK’s assistance during the recent devastating floods. He also thanked the British government for advocating Pakistan’s case to get access to the EU markets.
About women’s empowerment in Pakistan, President Zardari said the democratic government accorded top priority to empowerment of women with special emphasis on their welfare and equal rights to ensure gender equality in the country.
Theresa May lauded the contributions of Benazir Bhutto to the empowerment of women and strengthening of democratic institutions. Acknowledging great sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the war against terror, she said the UK would continue to support Pakistan in all sectors and at every forum to seek maximum support for the people of Pakistan.
British High Commissioner Adam Thomson, Special Adviser Nick Timothy and other senior officials accompanied the British home secretary. Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Narcotics Control Minister Arbab Muhammad Zahir, Secretary General to President Salman Farooqui, Adviser on Women Development Yasmeen Rehman, Senator Sughra Imam, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and other senior officials also attended the meeting.
“Despite daunting challenges, Pakistan will continue to fight against the menace of terrorism for the sake of peace and prosperity of the world,” Prime Minister Gilani said, while talking to the UK home secretary and minister for women and equality. He said he was looking forward to receiving the British prime minister in Islamabad in December to formally relaunch the strategic dialogue between the two countries. He said he hoped that Prime Minister Cameron’s visit would impart a new impetus to the cooperation in areas of finance, industry, defence, security, agriculture and cultural activities.
Prime Minister Gilani reiterated his government’s resolve to introduce economic reforms in the country, broaden the tax base and fulfil the commitments made by his government to the IMF and other international financial institutions.
He expressed his concerns over inordinate delays and high rate of rejection of visas to Pakistani politicians, businessmen, professionals and students by the UK High Commission in Islamabad.
He said the British visa service for Pakistani citizens should be resumed from Islamabad at earliest because the underlying reasons for its shifting to Abu Dhabi did not exist anymore.
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