ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan returned home on Wednesday after an officialcum-private visit to the United Kingdom. He will resume his official responsibilities on Thursday (today).

During his three-day official visit, he met his British counterpart Amber Rudd on Nov 14 and discussed with her cooperation in counterterrorism, illegal immigration, organised crime, narcotics control, money laundering and other issues of mutual interest.

The minister mentioned Pakistan`s new cybercrime legislation and told Ms Rudd the law would help the government control cybercrime. He said the law would also help state agencies in limiting hate material on the internet and address theissue ofcyber terrorism.

He recounted the successes Pakistan achieved in curbing human trafficking and claimed that thousands of human traffickers and fake travel agents had been held and rackets had been busted during a countrywide campaign against the crime.

A highlight of the visit was Chaudhry Nisar`s meeting with UKNational Security Adviser Mark Lyall Grant at 10 Downing Street. British Prime Minister Theresa May, who walked in during the meeting, said she was looking forward to visiting Pakistan in the first half of 2017.

The minister expressed the hope that cooperation between Pakistan and the UK at different levels would gain a boost and momentum after her forthcoming visit to Pakistan. He said that Prime Minister May`s visit to Pakistan was relevant and timely in the context of regional scenario prevailing in South Asia. It will open new channels of bilateral and multilateral cooperation and coordination.

In his meeting with the NSA, Chaudhry Nisar emphasised the need for the world community, particularly friends of Pakistan, to focus and react to Indian intransigence in South Asia.

He said that India`s hegemonic stance and aggressive posturing was a threat to peace and stability in the region.

Discussing Pakistan`s ongoing fight against terrorism, the minister said that the menace was a threat to the region and international peace. People of Pakistan and its national security institutions were determined to wipe out terrorism from its soil.

Chaudhry Nisar also held a meetingwith British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson during which the two reiterated their commitment to work hand in hand for promoting peace in the region, consolidating Pakistan-UK relations and taking them to a higher level.

The minister said that India has closed its doors for talks putting regional security at risk. Pakistan is ready to hold dialogue with India but no preconditions should be attached to the talks. He raised the issue of Indian involvement in internal affairs of Pakistan, terming New Delhi as the biggest irritant to peace in the region.

During a meeting with Lord Nazir Ahmad, the minister said that the government of Pakistan had reservations over inaction of the UK government in the cases pending against MQM founder Altaf Hussain.

Referring to the murder of MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq in London, he said that the British government had legal and moral responsibility to bring to justice those who had killed a Pakistani national on British soil.

During the private part of his visit, Chaudhry Nisar underwent hernia surgery. He was also supposed to undergo eye surgery, but decided to put it off for some other time.