News Desk
COLOMBO: Pakistan and Sri Lanka moved to strengthen their ties in the areas of internal security, counter-terrorism, and narcotics control, following a high-level meeting in Colombo between the two countries’ interior ministers.
The discussions, held between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Sri Lanka’s Minister for Home and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, focused on expanding bilateral cooperation to address shared security challenges. According to officials, the talks were wide-ranging, covering mechanisms for joint action against organized crime, including cybercriminal networks and financial fraud syndicates.
Both sides agreed to improve coordination between their respective interior ministries, with a view to tackling illegal immigration and the smuggling of narcotics more effectively. Speaking after the meeting, Mohsin Naqvi emphasized that enhanced cooperation between the interior ministries of Pakistan and Sri Lanka would open new avenues for bilateral relations.
Naqvi highlighted the importance of joint training initiatives, offering to host Sri Lankan police officers at Pakistan’s National Police Academy in Islamabad, and noted that such exchanges would strengthen the operational capacity of law enforcement and paramilitary forces in both countries.
The Pakistani minister also underscored the need for collaborative efforts to prevent cybercrimes and financial offences, stressing that closer cooperation was essential to safeguarding national and regional security. He extended an invitation to his Sri Lankan counterpart to visit Pakistan at a mutually convenient time and expressed gratitude for the warm reception he received in Colombo.
