Interior minister, US Chargé d’Affaires review counter-narcotics, security and immigration cooperation
Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi met with US 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 under its annual counter-narcotics campaign.
The briefing was presented during a meeting in which Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker. Both sides reviewed Pakistan–US cooperation on counter-narcotics, 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 poppy-free status of the region. Baker praised the Anti-Narcotics Force’s ongoing operations across the country.
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The discussions centred 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 action against human smugglers and undocumented migration would continue “without exception”.
He said narcotics detection at airports remained a top priority, with modern scanning machines being installed at major airports to bolster screening capacity. “We are strictly implementing a zero-tolerance policy against narcotics,” he said, warning that drugs originating from Afghanistan continued to reach multiple countries and posed a global threat to youth.
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Naqvi welcomed Washington’s offer of technical support, saying enhanced cooperation would strengthen Pakistan’s counter-narcotics capability. He added that the government, acting on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directive, was moving swiftly to establish the National Narcotics Coordination Centre to streamline nationwide efforts.
Baker reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Pakistan’s counter-narcotics and border management initiatives, saying Washington attached “special importance” to its ties with Islamabad.
The meeting was attended by the interior secretary, the ANF director general, the ANF director enforcement, US Embassy representatives and other senior officials.
