Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistan and China have agreed to broaden cooperation in immigration control, border protection and institutional coordination, reaffirming their determination to jointly combat illegal immigration, arms trafficking and other forms of cross-border crime through stronger collaboration.
The consensus was reached during a meeting between Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and a Chinese delegation headed by Qi Jingyang, Director General of China's National Immigration Administration.
During the talks, both countries decided to speed up the completion of a bilateral agreement aimed at simplifying immigration procedures and ensuring faster processing of related matters. They also agreed to establish a Pakistan-China Joint Working Group on border management and security to enhance coordination and strengthen operational cooperation between the two sides.
Speaking at the meeting, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistan and China would expand collaboration in land border management, seaport security and immigration governance.
He reiterated that the Pakistani government was strictly enforcing a zero-tolerance policy against illegal immigration, unlawful border crossings and smuggling, adding that authorities were taking uncompromising action against everyone involved in such offences without exception.
Naqvi further announced that a Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts checkpoint would be set up at the Khunjerab Pass to reinforce security at the strategically important border crossing.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said Pakistan and China would further strengthen bilateral cooperation to effectively tackle illegal immigration and other cross-border criminal activities.
The visiting Chinese delegation praised Pakistan's efforts to prevent illegal border crossings and curb smuggling, describing the measures adopted by the country as both effective and encouraging.
Director General Qi Jingyang reaffirmed that China and Pakistan remained close strategic partners, stressing Beijing's commitment to deepening cooperation with Islamabad. He added that China would continue supporting the capacity-building of Pakistani institutions in the fields of immigration management and border security.
During the meeting, the Chinese delegation conveyed an invitation from China's Minister of Public Security to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to participate in the upcoming Public Security Forum. An invitation was also extended to a delegation from Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to attend the event.
The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan informed participants that a group of Pakistani police officers would travel to China later this month to receive specialised training. He also noted that Chinese language instructors were currently providing language training to personnel of Pakistan's Special Protection Unit to improve communication and operational coordination.
The meeting was attended by the Chinese ambassador, the Interior Secretary, the Director General of the FIA, the Director General of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad and the Inspector General of Islamabad Police.