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UK envoy discusses regional security with Nisar
ISLAMABAD: British High Commissioner to Pakistan Philip Barton called on Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday and discussed the overall security situation in the region with particular reference to FATA and Afghanistan.
Interestingly, the high commissioner appreciated the recently announced National Internal Security Policy, and particularly mentioned the cooperation in this sector in the recent past, a statement from the Interior Ministry said. A few days back Pakistan’s Foreign Office had publicly snubbed British objections over some clauses of the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO).
Meanwhile, the minister said that peace in Afghanistan was key to peace in entire region, and Pakistan would continue to work closely with the new Afghan government for the establishment of lasting peace in the region. He hoped that durable peace would prevail in the region, especially in FATA, as a result of government’s policy of dialogue. He added that government was trying to expedite this process of dialogue with positive outcome without any inordinate delay.
Expressing his views on bilateral relations between Pakistan and UK, the minister said that both countries enjoy decades-old political and economic relations that have now flowered into a “special relationship”. This, he added, has been manifested through exchange of high profile visits between the two countries. He also praised the institutional support of UK in capacity building of civil armed forces of Pakistan. The high commissioner appreciated the commitment of the present government of Pakistan in putting the country on the path of peace and development.
He also highlighted the areas where the UK could play a more vibrant role, like policing, counter-terrorism, anti-human and drug trafficking. He hoped that the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to UK would add to the already strong relationship between the two countries. The interior minister said that close Pakistan-UK relations can play a very important role in improving geo-political situation of the region.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk