Secretary of the Interior, US Chargé d’Affaires reviews cooperation on counternarcotics, security and immigration
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with the American chargé d’affaires Natalie Baker
Pakistan seized 134 tons of narcotics, arrested 2,001 suspects, including 75 foreign nationals, and confiscated drugs worth $12.8 billion during its annual anti-narcotics campaign.
The briefing was presented during a meeting where Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker. Both sides reviewed Pakistan-US cooperation on counternarcotics, security and immigration control and were updated on ongoing Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) operations.
Authorities in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh also detained 110 Afghan nationals, cleared 40,659 acres of poppy cultivation and maintained the region’s poppy-free status. Baker praised the ongoing operations of the Anti-Narcotics Force across the country.
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Discussions centered on expanding intelligence sharing, strengthening operational coordination and jointly tackling drug trafficking networks.
Naqvi said Pakistan had adopted a “clear and firm policy” against illegal immigration, adding that efforts against people smugglers and undocumented migration would continue “without exception”.
He said drug detection at airports remained a top priority, with modern scanning machines being installed at major airports to strengthen screening capacity. “We are strictly implementing a zero-tolerance policy on drugs,” he said, warning that drugs originating in Afghanistan continued to reach more countries and posed a global threat to youth.
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Naqvi welcomed Washington’s offer of technical support and said enhanced cooperation would strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to fight narcotics. He added that the government, acting on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directive, moved swiftly to establish the National Narcotics Coordination Center to streamline nationwide efforts.
Baker reaffirmed the US commitment to support Pakistan’s counter-narcotics and border management initiatives and said Washington attached “special importance” to its ties with Islamabad.
The meeting was attended by the Home Secretary, ANF Director General, ANF Director, representatives of the US Embassy and other senior officials.
