The United Nations has appointed London-based Barrister Khawar Qureshi to advise the Government of Pakistan as UN member States prepare to sign a new Anti-Corruption Convention later this year. Mr Qureshi, 37, will recommend to the Government's Nation Accountability Bureau how to establish a new, specialist Financial Intelligence Unit as required by the Convention to crackdown on corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing after a four-week fact finding mission later this month. Pakistan has consistently featured as a country plagued by corruption and other forms of financial crime throughout its recent history. It has touched leading politicians including Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. Mr Qureshi, who practices in Commercial, International and Constitutional Law is one of the twenty senior Barristers who are "A" Panel Treasury Counsel and are called upon to advise and represent the British Government in complex cases. He has taught Law at Cambridge University (from where he obtained a first class degree in Law) and has represented many States, including acting as Legal Adviser to the Bosnian Government at the Dayton Peace Talks in 1995. "The United Nations is extremely concerned to help members states develop the expertise necessary to deal with financial crime. I will be drawing up a report to help NAB to become maximally effective in dealing with an issue that has affected Pakistan and many other countries in a serious way " he said. For further information or an interview with Mr Qureshi please contact: Khawar Qureshi, UN ODC ISLAMABAD