Pakistan, Egypt agree to expand cooperation in counterterrorism, anti-narcotics efforts

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Saturday held talks with a high-level delegation from Egypt aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism, anti-narcotics operations and internal security.

According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Interior Ministry, the Egyptian delegation was led by Major General Majdi Hilal and included Brigadier Issam Abu al-Khair, Brigadier Engineer Muhammad Razi and Brigadier Doctor Muhammad Munir.

During the meeting, held in Islamabad, both sides discussed expanding institutional cooperation and sharing expertise in tackling terrorism, organised crime and narcotics trafficking.

Talal Chaudhry said Pakistan and Egypt had “vast opportunities for cooperation” in the fields of counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics and internal security, stressing the importance of closer coordination between the two countries’ law enforcement and security institutions.

The Egyptian delegation noted that both countries could benefit from each other’s experiences and institutional capacities in various sectors, particularly in security and policing mechanisms.

According to the Interior Ministry, the meeting also reviewed ongoing collaboration between specialised institutions, including Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force and the National Police Academy, with both sides describing recent institutional exchanges and visits as highly beneficial.

Interior Minister Naqvi conveyed a goodwill message to his Egyptian counterpart and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation with Cairo on regional security and law enforcement matters.

Senior Pakistani officials, including the interior secretary, also attended the meeting.

The development comes as Pakistan intensifies diplomatic and security engagement with regional partners to strengthen cooperation against terrorism, drug trafficking and transnational crime.

Earlier this week, Naqvi visited Bangladesh and held talks with Bangladeshi Interior Adviser Salahuddin Ahmed in Dhaka, where the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance collaboration in combating narcotics smuggling, drug trafficking and substance abuse.

Pakistan and Bangladesh also agreed during that visit to deepen broader security cooperation and institutional coordination between their respective law enforcement agencies.