Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has held separate meetings with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott and US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker, focusing on bilateral relations, regional developments, and areas of mutual interest, his office said on Sunday.

The meetings underlined Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen ties with both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Relations with the UK have been revitalised through the resumption of flight operations after a five-year gap and initiatives like the newly inaugurated Centre of Excellence in Islamabad, a joint project enhancing Pakistan’s capacity to tackle transnational crime and streamline mutual legal assistance and extradition processes. At the same time, engagement with the US reflects growing collaboration on security and counterterrorism.

According to a post on the Interior Ministry’s X account, during the discussions, both sides emphasised enhancing cooperation in counter-narcotics, human trafficking, and security.

“Naqvi expressed gratitude to the British government and High Commissioner Marriott for resuming flight operations to the UK after a five-year hiatus,” the post said.

The Pakistan International Airlines operated its inaugural flight from Islamabad to Manchester on Saturday. The national flag carrier launched its flights to the United Kingdom after receiving the Third Country Operator (TCO) approval for flight operations. In the second phase, the flight operation will be extended to Birmingham and London.

Both envoys also lauded the Pakistan Navy’s recent anti-narcotics operation.

On October 23, Pakistan Navy ship Yarmook seized narcotics worth more than $972 million from sailboats in the Arabian Sea. According to the Com­bined Maritime Force (CMF) — a naval partnership that includes the US Navy — the Pakistani naval vessel intercepted two different ‘dhow’ sailing boats within 48 hours last week.

Marriott briefed the minister on the upcoming visit of the Director General of the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) next month. “During the visit, memorandums of understanding will be signed in the fields of immigration and counter-narcotics,” the post said.

Minister Naqvi highlighted projects like the Centre of Excellence, supported by the British High Commission, as crucial for enhancing the capacity of Pakistani institutions. “The initiative will further strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and the UK on mutual legal assistance and extradition matters,” the statement quoted him as saying.

The British High Commissioner reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to its ties with Pakistan, while Naqvi reiterated Pakistan’s determination to work with the international community to eliminate terrorism.

Meanwhile, Chargé d’Affaires Baker described Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism and extremism as commendable and pledged continued cooperation in security and counterterrorism.

In August, Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Gregory LoGerfo and Baker participated in the US-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue, advancing their shared resolve to combat the global threat.

According to a statement from the Foreign Office, the dialogue was co-chaired by Special Secretary (UN) Ambassador Nabeel Munir and LoGerfo, adding that the two delegations underscored the critical importance of developing effective approaches to terrorist threats, including those posed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).