UK envoy meets Basharat, Siraj

LAHORE:The Political Counsellor of British High Commission Islamabad, Ms Iona Thomas called on Minister for Law and Cooperatives Punjab Raja Basharat in the Punjab Assembly on Thursday. They discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest between the UK and the Punjab government.

Raja Basharat said on the occasion that the Punjab government was taking historic steps for the protection and development of minorities as significant increases had been made in the recent budget for churches and other minority worship places in Punjab.

He said that Punjab government was ensuring implementation of all the points of FATF and had successfully handled high profile cases of terrorism by implementing federal policies against extremism and sectarianism. Raja Basharat further said that the Punjab Assembly under the leadership of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had enacted record legislation while centuries-old laws were being updated as per the existing requirements. He said that the orders of the Supreme Court regarding local government would be followed.

The Law Minister said that successful measures had been taken against corona pandemic in Punjab and the process of vaccination was also going on successfully. Ms Iona Thomas praised Pakistan’s efforts for FATF and said that the UK had pledged its full support to Pakistan in this regard. She paid homage to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and said that he always emphasised on the rights of minorities.

Referring to the Hunza Valley, Ms Thomas said that Pakistan was rich in natural beauty and resources. She assured that the UK would continue to co-operate with Punjab against disease, illiteracy, terrorism, poverty alleviation and COVID-19.

British High Commission’s Political Counsellor Ms Iona Thomas called on Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Sirajul Haq at Mansoora on Thursday. They discussed Pak-England relations and the situation in Afghanistan and Kashmir, said a press release from Mansoora.

Sirajul Haq asked the British envoy that her government should play its role to resolve the issues of Kashmir and Afghanistan. India, he said, violated the international and mutual agreements between Islamabad and New Delhi by abrogating the special status of Occupied Kashmir. Siraj said the people of Kashmir should be given opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination granted to them under various resolutions of the UNO.

He appreciated the British government cooperation with Pakistan in the fields of education, health and other sectors. Ms Thomas said the British government was making efforts to establish peace in Afghanistan. The British diplomat expressed satisfaction over the improvement of security situation in Pakistan, expressing desire to further strengthen the cooperation between the two nations in education, health and trade sectors.