ISLAMABAD, Sept 7: Interior and Narcotics Control Minister Moinuddin Haider returned from a week-long visit to Qatar, Iran and United Arab Emirates after inaugurating issuance of national identity cards for overseas Pakistanis and Pakistan origin cards in Dubai on Saturday.

During his visit, the minister delivered a letter from President Gen Pervez Musharraf to Qatar Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

He met Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani and discussed matters to enhance relations between the countries.

He launched national identity cards for overseas Pakistanis and Pakistan origin cards scheme in Doha.

In Iran, Moin Haider called on President Seyed Mohammad Khatami and the two leaders expressed satisfaction over the steps taken to check cross-border criminal activities and anti-narcotics measures.

The countries reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen ties in the political, economic, cultural and scientific fields.

The minister apprised the president of the tension between Pakistan and India, including staging by India of farcical elections in the occupied Kashmir and of growing anti-Muslim trend in India.

He held talks with his Iranian counterpart, Abdolvahed Mousavi, on better coordination and evolving a mechanism among the security agencies of the countries to combat narcotics, cross-border criminal activities and smuggling.

They stressed closer cooperation between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan to check drug trafficking and signed an agreement on border security.—APP