Pakistan eyes enhanced cooperation with Saudi Arabia to prevent drug trafficking

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan wants to enhance cooperation with Saudi Arabia in curbing illicit activities such as drug trafficking and human smuggling, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday.
Pakistan this week organized the Pak-GCC Regional Narcotics Conference, organized by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in Islamabad, where delegates from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait gathered to develop a joint strategy against narcotics trafficking and abuse.
Naqvi visited the Saudi embassy in Islamabad on Sunday where he met Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki. The two discussed matters of mutual interest, enhancing bilateral relations and increasing mutual cooperation, the interior ministry said.
'We want to enhance cooperation with Saudi Arabia to prevent drug trafficking and human smuggling,' Naqvi was quoted as saying by his ministry.
Islamabad has been worried about the trend of Pakistani beggars abusing visas to beg in foreign countries. Pakistan fears this could impact genuine visa-seekers and particularly religious pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia.
According to widespread media reports, Riyadh raised this issue with Islamabad at various forums last year.
Naqvi assured Malki that the government has 'tightened the noose' around the begging mafia in Pakistan.
'New conditions are being imposed for obtaining passports to curb begging and illegal immigration,' he said.
Naqvi thanked Saudi Arabia for releasing a Pakistani family that had been 'framed' for smuggling narcotics to the Kingdom earlier this year.
'Saudi Arabia provided significant support for the release and repatriation of the innocent family,' he said.
'Thanks to the cooperation of the Saudi government, five members of the family were released and returned home,' he added.
As per the interior ministry, Malki said Riyadh enjoyed close relations with Islamabad and wanted to strengthen them further.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial relations rooted in shared faith, culture and traditions.
Pakistanis are the second-largest expatriate community in the Kingdom, with over 2.5 million living and working in Saudi Arabia, the top source of remittances to the South Asian country.

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