LONDON: Pakistan and Britain have been cooperating with each other with exchange of information on dozens of “individuals of interest” to both countries.

The News has learnt from foreign office sources in both countries that authorities in Britain have passed detailed information about Baloch activists to Pakistan while Pakistan has handed over files of British nationals residing in Pakistan. It is believed that this exchange of information related to activists who are believed to hold “extremist views”. The News has learnt on good authority that the government of Pakistan - as part of its informed decision to tackle law and order situation in Karachi, Baloch militants’ activities in Balochistan and counter overall extremism in Pakistan - has decided to approach all the foreign governments to control the elements causing law and order situation in Pakistan from their lands.

The government of Pakistan has already expressed its concerns to UK over MQM leader Altaf Hussain’s alleged objectionable speeches using the UK’s soil. Both the governments are already negotiating exchange of suspects required by UK in Dr Imran Farooq murder case.

Pakistani authorities have conveyed to the British government their distress over Baloch militant leaders’ causing unrest in Pakistan from British soil and using their links inside Balochistan to support militants involved in violence against civilians and security forces.

This correspondent has learnt that the UK government has passed information about activities of several Baloch activists who have used London as a base to mount their campaigns against the state of Pakistan.

The News has learnt that at least two Baloch leaders are being monitored. These activists - believed to be around two dozens - are linked with Hyrbyar Marri, Mehran Baluch and Khan of Kalat and also with several Baloch organisations such as Balochistan Nationalist Party, Balochistan Republican Party and other small groupings.

Almost all of them have claimed asylum in the UK on political grounds, citing threats in Pakistan.

Most of these activists have been involved in holding demonstrations and attending meetings where they have been speaking against Pakistani government and military action in some parts of Balochistan. Some veteran Baloch activists have gone quiet in recent months for reasons unknown but previously they held meetings and demonstration with frequency in alliance with some Sindhi nationalists.

As most of the Baloch activists are on asylum status and actively participate in demonstrations against Pakistan and stick to their claim for independence from Pakistan, British authorities have also started monitoring the activities of Baloch activists. Though the Baloch leaders in UK deny that they have been advised by the UK authorities to exercise restraint, yet The News has learnt that they have been advised to correct their narrative and not to use British soil for any kind of subversive activity in Pakistan. There is possibility that if the Baloch activists did not stop their activities to destabilise Pakistan from British soil, the UK may revoke status of such individuals and deport them to Pakistan.

Britain is interested mainly in those British Pakistani youth who are believed to hold either extremist Islamist views or have links with drug dealing mafia. Like Baloch extremists in London, none of these individuals have any charges levelled against them but they are of interest to Britain and they are being monitored by both countries.

The number of these individuals stands at over 60, a source told this correspondent. UK believes that these individuals use family and cultural connections in Pakistan to make contacts with radical groups and drug smuggling syndicates.

