Pakistan and Malaysia have agreed to strengthen intelligence sharing to combat terrorism, drug smuggling, illegal immigration, and cybercrime. The decision came during Malaysian Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail’s visit to Islamabad, where he met President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
The two countries also agreed to establish a Joint Working Group (JWG) to strengthen bilateral relations. Naqvi and Saifuddin reached the agreement during delegation-level talks at the Ministry of Interior in Islamabad.
Joint Working Group to Strengthen Cooperation
Both ministers agreed to improve intelligence-sharing mechanisms and expand cooperation against cross-border crimes. Furthermore, Pakistan will soon send a high-level delegation to Malaysia to advance areas of mutual interest.
The officials also discussed cooperation in coastguard training. Pakistan expressed interest in benefiting from Malaysian coastguard expertise, while both sides agreed to strengthen collaboration between the National Police Academy and the Royal Malaysian Police College.
Pakistan Seeks Greater Travel Opportunities
During the meeting, Naqvi described Malaysia as one of the fastest-growing Muslim countries and welcomed stronger relations between the two nations. He also said the Malaysian minister’s visit could become an important milestone in strengthening bilateral ties.
Naqvi highlighted Malaysia’s popularity among Pakistani tourists and expressed hope that greater cooperation would create more opportunities for legal travel. He also suggested that an increase in Pakistan’s work quota could enable more Pakistanis to visit and work in Malaysia through lawful channels.
Both countries are expected to pursue further cooperation through the proposed Joint Working Group and upcoming high-level engagements.
