ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States agreed to intensify cooperation on immigration and security during a meeting here on Saturday between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and acting US Ambassador Natalie Baker.

The acting US ambassador, who called on the interior minister, offered her country’s full technical assistance for counter-narcotics operations and efforts to curb illegal immigration.

The meeting also focused on strengthening collaboration in intelligence sharing.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Naqvi said that Pakistan had a clear and firm policy regarding illegal immigration.

He added said the identification of drug trafficking cases at airports remained a top priority.

“State-of-the-art scanning machines are being installed at all major airports across the country.”

The minister reaffirmed that the country was strictly implementing a zero-tolerance policy against narcotics.

“Even today, drugs originating from Afghanistan are reaching dozens of countries and destroying young generations,” he noted, adding that US technical support to bolster Pakistan’s counter-narcotics capabilities would be welcomed.

On the prime minister’s directive, the National Narcotics Coordination Centre would be set up soon, the interior minister informed the envoy.

ANF performance

During the meeting, a detailed briefing was given on the Anti-Narcotics Force’s (ANF) performance and ongoing operations across the country.

It was shared that under the annual counter-narcotics campaign, 134 tonnes of narcotics were seized, 2,001 suspects — including 75 foreign nationals — were arrested, and drugs worth $12.797 billion were confiscated.

It was further informed that in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh, 110 Afghan nationals were arrested and 40,659 acres of land were cleared to maintain a “poppy-free status”.

Ms Baker appreciated the performance of the ANF and said that the United States placed special importance on its relations with Pakistan and would continue cooperation in all areas.

The interior minister said Pakistan-US relations were vital for promoting peace and stability in the region, and that Islamabad was committed to further strengthening their long-standing bilateral ties.

The meeting was attended by the interior secretary, the ANF director general, its director enforcement, representatives of the US embassy, and other officials.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2025