Pakistan, UK discuss money laundering, extradition issues

PM’s assistant meets British home secretary, other officials

LONDON: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability (SAPM) Mirza Shahzad Akbar called on British Home Secretary Sajid Javid on Thursday and discussed issues of mutual interest and steps to curb money laundering as well as recovery of assets acquired through illegal means.

A statement of the Pakistan High Commission said both the sides discussed issues of mutual interest, particularly those related to the provision of mutual legal assistance, extradition requests, prisoner transfer agreement and steps to curb money laundering as well as recovery of assets acquired through illegal means.

They also discussed matters pertaining to the assistance and support on technical matters, analytical advice and skills capacity building.



The PM’s special assistant also held meetings with other representatives of the British government, during which he met Debbie Price, the Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor of the International Justice & Organised Crime Division, and Philomena Creffield, Head of the UK Central Authority.

The two sides agreed on working in close cooperation at the operational level, having enhanced collaboration in the area of information sharing and reviewed progress on specific cases for extradition requests made to the British government.

The special assistant also called on the British prime minister's Anti Corruption Champion and Member of Parliament John Penrose at Portcullis House.



The two discussed strategies for making joint efforts in curbing the menace of corruption and plugging existing loopholes at home and abroad.

Akbar also visited the Foreign and Commonwealth Office where he was received by the UK Special Representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan Gareth Bayley.

Both the sides discussed a wide-range of bilateral issues and expressed their commitment to work closely together.

Bayley expressed the British government's firm commitment to support Pakistan in its resolve towards fighting corruption and carrying out the accountability process for justice to ensure transparency.