Pakistan on Tuesday lauded the support of British Prime Minister David Cameron in getting access to European markets, which has not only helped strengthen Pakistan economy but also proved a big blow to terrorists, said Rehman Malik, Federal Minister for Interior here on Tuesday.
"The access of Pakistani products to European markets has helped create job opportunities for youth - the main target of recruitment for terrorists and if a youth gets a proper job why he will indulge in terrorism," Malik said while addressing a joint press conference with Theresa May, British Secretary of State for Home Affairs and Women and Equality.
The two ministers during their meeting at the Interior Ministry also signed an MoU and discussed host of issues before addressing the media. He said Pakistan and the United Kingdom have renewed the five-year old MoU to check illegal immigrants, which will help stop the illegal immigration between two countries. Under this MoU illegal immigrants from Pakistan and UK will be deported to their respective countries along with relevant information so that illegal immigrants and their agents would be taken to task, Malik said.
"We have effectively capped the sources of terror financing and drug barons by bringing the 'Hawala' business to lowest ebb," Malik said, adding that this has helped increase foreign exchange reserves to record level of $16 billion and these will shortly touch $25 billion mark. Malik sought the British government help for complete elimination of the 'Hawala' business saying that more efforts are imperative to arrest the menace.
Responding to a question, Rehman Malik said that Pakistani authorities would take final decision as and when to move against terrorists in a certain area of the country. "Our intelligence agencies are working properly to gather information regarding the presence of terrorists," he added.
"This is our soil and we know where and when to move against the militants, as we did in Swat and other parts where we achieved results in action against militants," Malik said. Responding to another question regarding the upcoming British Premier's visit in December, Malik said that two countries have agreed to form a joint working group to work out agenda for strategic dialogue between two countries.
Malik said that despite daunting challenges Pakistan would continue to fight terrorism for the sake of peace, stability and prosperity of the entire world. "Terrorism is not a threat to Pakistan only but an issue of international nature, which need joint efforts from across the globe," he added.
He said that Pakistan took drastic steps against the human trafficking and a Special Task Force was formed to address this issue. "People are using sea-route, borders with Iran and Central Asian states to enter Europe and we have warned the agents that world community is united to defeat the human traffickers," he added. Two countries have expressed concern over the increasing human trafficking from one part of the globe to the other, he said, adding that the illegal immigrant deported from the UK to Pakistan will be prosecuted under the law and added human trafficking agents would also be taken to task.
He emphasised that the British visa service for Pakistani citizens should be resumed from Islamabad as earlier, since the underlying reasons for its shifting to Abu Dhabi did not exist any more. Speaking on the occasion, British Minister Theresa May said that both Pakistan and the United Kingdom are committed to target terrorists where they are and two countries have agreed to share the viable intelligence information to avert terror threats.
The sacrifices of Pakistan in war against terror are unparalleled as this country paid heavy cost in this war and international community should realise the situation and support Pakistan, she opined. She appreciated Pakistan's efforts and its role as a bulwark against terrorism contributing towards the regional and world's stability.
Giving a brief content of the role of the UK in stability of Pakistan, she said that the trade volume between the UK and Pakistan is over one billion pounds, besides UK is second largest investing country in Pakistan. She said that remittances from UK to Pakistan are over 70 million pounds per annum. She recalled the British government and people's efforts to generate assistance to Pakistan for relief and rehabilitation of the flood victims saying that British Government has provided 134 million pounds as assistance for flood relief while British people have provided over 60 million pounds in this regard.
She said that her government wanted to work in a co-operative way with Pakistan on matters relating to counter-terrorism and she would like to have in-depth discussions during her recent trip to Pakistan to prepare and finalise co-operative framework on these issues before Prime Minister Cameron's visit.
She welcomed the Pakistan government's commitment to introduce economic reforms in the country and renewed the pledge of her government to help it in the education sector through the bilateral task force. She said that renewal of the MoU is part of bilateral efforts to strengthen immigration system. She made it clear that action will be taken against the illegal Pakistani immigrants who land in the UK.
She said UK feels proud of its relations with Pakistan. She assured that UK authorities were taking measures for early processing of visa applications of Pakistanis. She said visa time has been reduced to 15 days for common people. However, to a question, she said that at the moment, UK is not considering shifting of its visa offices to Pakistan.
To a question, she said the issue of presence of militant groups in parts of the world needs to be addressed and both the countries are working together to defeat terrorism. To a question, she dispelled the impression of any ban on use of 'Burqa' in UK saying that her country was not considering to ban 'Burqa' as the UK population needs not to be taught as how to dress up.