Customized Practical Guide on Requesting Electronic Evidence Across Borders launched

Islamabad: Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood Friday participated in the official launch of the Customized Practical Guide on Requesting Evidence Across Border in an event jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC).

The Practical Guide has been developed under the Pakistan Action to Counter-Terrorism (PACT) project with the support of key partners including the European Union (EU).

Pakistan is the first country in Asia which has partneredwith the UNODC to customize its global Practical Guide in line with its domestic legal framework and procedures. The Guide will assist Law Enforcement Agencies in Pakistan to access critical electronic evidence from foreign jurisdictions and investigate and prosecute terrorism offenses.

The Practical Guide was developed after a series of consultations among relevant stakeholders at the federal and provincial levels.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, the Foreign Secretary said that the Government of Pakistan was fully aware of the threats posed by misuse of the cyber space. He said that in line with the new cyber security policy, the Government remained committed to modernizing itssystems, enhance their efficiency, and improve digital connectivity.

The Foreign Secretary also highlighted the steps taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards digitalization of its work. He said that in accordance with the vision of the leadership, the Foreign Office had introduced new online platforms, portals, mobile applications and connectivity protocols to not only streamline the day-to-day tasks of the Ministry but also improve service delivery to the Pakistani diaspora.

The ceremony was addressed by the Country Representative of UNODC, Jeremy Milsom, Ambassador of the EU, H.E. Androulla Kaminara and senior officials from the Ministry of Interior and National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and was attended by Members of the Diplomatic Corps and representatives of the provincial governments.