Islamabad, Beijing agree to boost counterterrorism cooperation as Naqvi meets Chinese counterpart

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Chinese counterpart Ling Zhifeng agreed to further strengthen cooperation in security and combatting terrorism, state-run PTV reported on Wednesday.

The two ministers met at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

During the meeting, the ministers stressed to further cooperation in border management, curbing illegal immigration and combating drugs, while they also determined joint measures to stop assistance and funding for terrorism.

The meeting also discussed views on protection of Chinese in Pakistan, ease of visa and promotion of public relations.

Meanwhile, Naqvi held a separate meeting with Sri Lankan Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala at the UN Headquarters in New York. They agreed to strengthen coordination in combatting narcotics and enhance cooperation in police training, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

According to the report, they agreed to increase collaboration to curb illegal immigration and prevent travel on forged passports.

The two ministers discussed a probable memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation to combat criminal networks and money laundering, the report stated.

They also agreed to establish a joint working group to further strengthen cooperation between the interior ministries of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, it added.

Naqvi and his Sri Lankan counterpart agreed to resolve visa-related issues on a priority basis.

The interior minister is currently in New York to represent Pakistan at the Fifth United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit 2026 (UNCOPS) being held at the UN headquarters on July 7 and 8. The summit has brought together interior ministers, police chiefs and senior law enforcement officials from across the world to discuss peace, security and enhanced cooperation against transnational crime.

The key focus of this year’s summit is developing a new vision for United Nations policing to ensure that peace operations remain agile, effective and people-centred.

During his visit, Naqvi is expected to meet senior US officials in Washington early next week, as Pakistan continues efforts to facilitate US-Iran talks, diplomatic sources told Dawn.

A meeting between Naqvi and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is also expected, according to the sources. ...