Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his officials have had with the Pakistan government on tackling terrorism in that region.

The UK and Pakistan have a shared interest in the battle against terrorism. We are committed to working together in a number of areas to combat the terrorist threat and the extremism that sustains it. UK assistance includes the appointment of the Prime Minister's Counter Terrorism (CT) Capability Envoy, who visits Pakistan regularly and has detailed discussions with the Pakistan Government on a range of CT issues, including Pakistan’s implementation of the National Action Plan against terrorism.

Both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Theresa May) and the National Security Adviser have had discussions with the Pakistan Minister of the Interior and the Chief of Army Staff during their recent visits to the UK.

The UK-Pakistan Joint Working Group on CT is our framework for continuing dialogue. UK officials at the High Commission in Islamabad and from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Home Office Counter Terrorism Departments hold regular meetings with their counterparts in the Government of Pakistan to monitor progress and review areas of co-operation. UK assistance includes a long-term commitment to developing rule of law capacity in line with international law and human rights. Alongside this we have pledged further assistance, including UK strategic expertise, capacity development to improve detection and disruption of improvised explosive devices, support to developing effective approaches to countering violent extremism and strengthening aviation and infrastructure security.