KARACHI, Nov 28: The visiting British Minister of State at Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Dr Kim Howells, has praised the efforts of Pakistani officials to prevent the scourge of drugs. He was addressing a press briefing on Monday evening at the airport prior to his departure for Islamabad after a one-day visit to the metropolis. Sindh Anti-Narcotics Force Commander Brig Muhammad Farooq Shaukat, and the British Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi, Hamish Daniel, were also present on the occasion.

He said that he was highly impressed with the best targeted operations being carried out by Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force personnel. He said that Pakistan and Britain had high-level of cooperation in anti-narcotics operations.

To a query, he said that the investigations into July 7th London bombings in which 56 people were killed and many others injured were still going on. He further said that the government and people of Pakistan had nothing to do with terrorism.

“Islam is against terrorism and we must eradicate it,” he remarked.

Dr Howells said that the United Kingdom was home to two million Muslims and over half of them were of Pakistani origin. He said that Britain had good relations with Pakistan.

He also spoke of the devastation caused by Oct 8th earthquake and said that Britain was one of the leading countries which had donated cash and extended assistance for quake victims. He appreciated the swift response of the government of Pakistan in mitigating sufferings of quake victims.

Asked whether England cricket team now touring Pakistan would play one-day match in Karachi, he said it was up to the two Boards to finalize details in this regard. He described Pakistani team as one of the leading cricket players in the world.

Earlier, addressing the students at the IBA, Dr Howells said: “The British government is working closely with our Muslim community (in the UK) to tackle religious extremism amongst a minority of young people which led to barbaric attacks on London in July 2005.”

He called for redoubling efforts to ensure that those responsible for terrorist attacks face justice. “It is time the mainstream stands up to the extremists and reasserted true values of Islam that I understand it teaches,” he stressed. He welcomed President Musharraf’s commitment to tackling extremism.—PPI/APP