Daily Times

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in the domains of public security and prevention of narcotics smuggling, the Pakistani interior ministry said on Monday.

The statement came after Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s meeting with Maj. Gen. Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Qarni, who heads Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC).

Naqvi arrived in Riyadh a day ago to discuss bilateral ties and issues of mutual concern with Saudi officials as both countries continue to forge closer economic and investment relations.

During their meeting, the interior minister and the Saudi narcotics control official held discussions on enhancing mutual cooperation in narcotics control, according to the Pakistani interior ministry.

“Both sides agreed on more effective measures under bilateral assistance for narcotics control,” it said in a statement. “The Saudi side offered cooperation to Pakistan in providing the latest equipment for drug detection.”

Naqvi visited various sections of the GDNC, where Saudi officials briefed him on the Kingdom’s narcotics control efforts.

“No country can tackle the menace of drugs alone. This has become a shared challenge for the nations of the world,” Naqvi was quoted as saying by his ministry. “Pakistan will continue cooperation with Saudi Arabia regarding anti-narcotics efforts.”

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties, and officials from both nations regularly interact with each other in a number of domains.

On Sunday, Naqvi met with the Kingdom’s Director of Public Security Lt. Gen. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Bassami. He inspected various departments of the state-of-the-art Directorate of Public Security and the Safe City Center. “During the meeting, it was agreed to activate the joint task force [on public security] between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia soon,” the Pakistani interior ministry said.

Naqvi said that he was glad to see the “excellent” public security mechanism in Saudi Arabia, adding that both sides could benefit from the experience of each other by enhancing cooperation in the field of police training.