On Friday, 25^th July, 2025, Khawaja Adnan Zahir conducted an interactive workshop on “Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA)” for the participants of the 38^th Senior Management Course (SMC) at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), Lahore.

Mr. Zahir traced the evolution of MLA practices in the world, leading to the emergence of regional and multilateral MLA frameworks. He explained the difference between formal MLA requests, where a state formally requests another state in writing, and the informal channels often used through personal contacts.

Mr. Zahir also traced the evolution of the MLA framework in Pakistan and explained the process of incoming and outgoing MLA requests. He identified the key stakeholders associated with MLA in Pakistan and outlined the roles of the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, the FIA, and NAB. He discussed Pakistan’s participation in various bilateral treaties and multilateral Conventions related to MLA for cooperation on money laundering, corruption, and other transnational crimes.

While examining the current practices, Mr. Zahir identified the gaps in Pakistan’s MLA regime. He noted that procedural differences, language barriers, and frequent time delays complicate the execution of requests. Against the backdrop of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) benchmarks, Mr. Zahir underscored the interlinkage between money laundering and terror financing, noting that global money laundering is now estimated at USD 6 trillion. He also highlighted the actions taken by Pakistan’s Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) in line with the recommendations of FATF to curb money laundering and terror financing. The workshop also explored how emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, and Blockchain could reshape the MLA architecture in the future.