• Both sides ready to step up joint efforts to combat terrorism, drug trafficking, cybercrime, illegal migration
• NAB chairman, Russian prosecutor general ink MoU
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan advanced bilateral cooperation with Britain and Russia on Friday, reaching an understanding with London to strengthen joint efforts against security threats while signing a pact with Moscow to combat corruption and money laundering.
In Islamabad, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held delegation-level talks with visiting British Security Minister Dan Jarvis, with discussions focusing on counterterrorism, narcotics trafficking, cybercrime and illegal immigration. Both sides agreed to finalise a memorandum of understanding on anti-narcotics cooperation to formalise and operationalise collaboration between the UK’s National Crime Agency and Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force.
They also agreed to convene a meeting of a working group established between their interior ministries as soon as possible.
As Mr Naqvi said Pakistan had foiled 330 cases involving narcotics smuggling to the UK in recent years, the British minister praised the FIA’s efforts to curb illegal immigration and acknowledged Pakistan’s contributions in combating terrorism. He said cybercrime was an international challenge requiring collective action.
Separately, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office signed a memorandum of understanding in Moscow to strengthen cooperation against corruption and money laundering, the bureau said on Friday.
The agreement was signed by retired Lt Gen Nazir Ahmed, chairman of the anti-graft watchdog, and Russian Prosecutor General Aleksandr Gutsan. It provides a framework for exchanging expertise and information on legal systems, consulting on mutual legal assistance in criminal cases and cooperating in law enforcement.
The agreement also calls for joint conferences, workshops, expert exchanges and professional training. A key provision covers tracing and recovering assets derived from corruption and money laundering.
“The aim of the MoU is to strengthen bilateral cooperation and enhance joint efforts to combat corruption and money laundering,” a NAB spokesperson said in a statement.
The two institutions also agreed to collaborate on anti-corruption awareness initiatives for young people and scientific research.
Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2026
