ISLAMABAD, June 6: Pakistan and Turkey on Tuesday expressed concern that some terrorist groups were involved in drug smuggling to generate money for terrorism. The two sides made the observations during the third joint commission meeting of interior secretary level on international terrorism, human smuggling and drug trafficking that concluded at the interior ministry here on Tuesday.
Secretary Interior Syed Kamal Shah was representing Pakistan while Sahabettin Harput, the governor undersecretary of Turkish interior minister, was leading the Turkish delegation in the talks.
The two sides signed a joint declaration at the conclusion of the meeting followed by a joint press conference. It was decided that 4th Joint Commission meeting would be held in Turkey, in November 2006.
Mr Harput said most of the drugs were being produced and supplied throughout the world from Afghanistan because the Afghan government had failed to control the ever increasing poppy cultivation in the country.
He said both Pakistan and Turkey had been suffering from the negative fallout of uncontrolled poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and trying hard to restrict smugglers from using their soils as transit station to export drugs from Afghanistan to rest of the world.
HUMAN SMUGGLERS: According to the joint declaration, Pakistan handed over a list of 26 Pakistani human traffickers who are reportedly residing in Turkey. A request has also been made to verify their whereabouts.
On the occasion the Turkish side agreed to provide entire data about Pakistanis arrested on the charges of human smuggling by June 30.
Both parties agreed to continue to improve the existing mechanisms of exchanging information concerning acts of terrorism and trans-national organised crime.
