The United States and Pakistan pledge to work together to combat drug trafficking and illegal immigration.

Acting US Ambassador Natalie Baker met with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to explore increased collaboration in the fight against illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and strengthening security protocols.

Both sides decided to work together to combat illegal immigration at the meeting. They pledged to work together more closely on information exchange, drug prevention, and putting a coordinated plan into action.

Technical assistance for combating drugs and stopping illegal immigration was provided by the US ambassador.

The interior minister emphasized that Pakistan has a clear policy regarding illegal immigration and that the government is making significant efforts to deal with the problem.

Naqvi added that the government has made it a top priority to discover drug cases at airports and has installed sophisticated scanning equipment at every airport to get rid of any security flaws or vulnerabilities.

He restated that a zero-tolerance policy for drugs is severely enforced by the government. Naqvi also pointed out that drugs coming from Afghanistan still have a terrible impact on young people in many nations, including Pakistan. He applauded the United States’ offer of technological support in the fight against drug trafficking.

The interior minister further disclosed that the National Narcotics Coordination Center will soon be formed to enable coordinated cooperation amongst all pertinent authorities, per the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The meeting included a thorough briefing on the Anti-Narcotics Force’s (ANF) performance. According to reports, 134 tons of drugs were confiscated and 2,001 people—including 75 foreigners—were jailed during the yearly counter-narcotics campaign. The medicines that were seized had a combined value of $12.797 billion.

In addition, 40,659 acres of land were cleared to keep the area poppy-free, and 110 Afghan nationals were arrested in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh.

The ANF’s performance was commended by Acting US Ambassador Natalie Baker, who emphasized that the US appreciates its relationship with Pakistan and will keep working together in all spheres.

Minister Naqvi came to the conclusion that Pakistan is dedicated to deepening its long-standing relationship with the United States and sees it as essential to advancing peace and stability in the area.

The Director-General of ANF, Enforcement Director, Federal Secretary of the Interior, US Embassy representatives, and other authorities attended the meeting.