Sada-e-Watan
Sydney ™
sadaewatan@gmail.com
High Commissioner Babar Amin and Hon. Shayne Neumann
H.E. Babar Amin meets with Hon. Shayne Neumann MP, Shadow Minister of Australia for Immigration and Border Protection
The Pakistan High Commissioner His
Excellency Mr. Babar Amin met with Hon. Shayne Neumann MP, Shadow Minister for
Immigration and Border Control in his Canberra office, to discuss issues of
mutual interest between Pakistan and Australia.
The High Commissioner
Babar Amin expressed satisfaction at the close bilateral relations and
multilateral cooperation between the two countries. Briefing the Shadow
Minister on various aspects, the two countries’ close cooperation in security,
intelligence sharing, border management and combating transnational crime was
especially focused.
The Shadow Minister was informed about the meeting
of the Joint Working Group on Border Management and Transnational Crime held in
February this year. Pakistan and Australia shared the view of not politicising
the FATF and retaining its technical nature. The High Commissioner appreciated
the Australian assistance and training in curbing money laundering and
terrorism financing, which, would be of great value in fulfilling the FATF
benchmarks. Referring to the remarkable improved security situation in
Pakistan, the High Commissioner requested the Shadow Minister’s support for a
positive revision of the Australian travel advisory on Pakistan.
The
High Commissioner Mr Babar Amin also gave a detailed briefing on the current
escalation in tensions in South Asia; and the maturity and restraint displayed
by the Pakistani leadership despite strong provocations. The Shadow Minister
was also briefed about the goodwill gesture of the Prime Minister of Pakistan
to open the Kartarpur Shrine Corridor to facilitate the Sikh pilgrims. The
travesty of justice in acquittal of all the perpetrators of Samjhauta Express
terrorists’ attack in India, in which 44 Pakistanis had lost their lives, was
also discussed.
The Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Control,
Hon. Neumann expressed satisfaction over the bilateral relations and stated
that the Labor Party fully supported further augmenting these ties. He
emphasized that the Labor Party attached great importance to Australia’s
security and intelligence cooperation with Pakistan. He appreciated Pakistan’s
efforts to meet the FATF’s benchmarks.
The Shadow Minister also agreed
that the travel advisory should take into account the significantly improved
security situation in Pakistan. He showed keen interest to know more about the
peace and security situation in South Asia, Samjhauta Express attack, Kartarpur
Corridor and raised numerous queries in this regard. The Shadow Minister Shayne
Neumann, while taking note, thanked the High Commissioner for bringing these
issues and the situation in South Asia to his attention.
The High Commissioner Babar
Amin meeting with Australian Shadow
Minister for Immigration and Border
Protection, Hon. Shayne Neumann