ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday discussed the possibility of training Iraqi police in Pakistan during a meeting with a delegation from the Arab state, where he also raised the issue of not withholding the passports of Pakistani pilgrims.
Pakistan and Iraq have discussed law enforcement cooperation in recent years, focusing on enhancing collaboration in counterterrorism, counternarcotics and intelligence-sharing.
The two sides also focused on several bilateral issues as Naqvi welcomed Commander of Iraq’s Rapid Response Unit, Lt. Gen. Dr. Tahamir Ismail, at his office in Islamabad.
“The conversation included training Iraqi police in Pakistan and collaboration on the Safe City Project,” said a statement released by the ministry after the meeting. “They discussed enhancing mutual cooperation to prevent illegal immigration and human trafficking.”
The interior minister also requested the Iraqi authorities not to withhold Pakistani pilgrims’ passports visiting their country.
“They discussed matters of mutual interest, including providing more facilities to Pakistani pilgrims in Iraq and eliminating the requirement of keeping their passports,” the statement added.
Pakistani pilgrims frequently travel to Iraq, particularly to visit the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf, which are significant religious sites for Shia Muslims. The journeys of these pilgrims are often organized by tour operators who arrange their visas, travel and accommodation.
In recent years, the Iraqi government has implemented stricter controls, including the practice of temporarily keeping passports to prevent pilgrims from overstaying their visas, which has been a particular concern for pilgrims from economically struggling regions like Pakistan.
The Iraqi commander said that pilgrims coming from Pakistan were highly respected and added he would discuss the issue with the director general of passports in his country.
Pakistan offers Iraq police training, urges halt to withholding pilgrims’ passports
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Pakistan offers Iraq police training, urges halt to withholding pilgrims’ passports
- Both countries have tried to enhance law enforcement cooperation, focusing on counterterrorism, counternarcotics
- A senior Iraqi official says he will discuss the issue of pilgrims’ travel documents with director general of passports
Security forces kill 11 militants in separate operations in Pakistan’s northwest
- Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan
- Militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban frequently target convoys of security forces, police and government officials
ISLAMABAD: Security forces gunned down 11 Pakistani Taliban militants in separate operations in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Saturday, amid a surge in militancy in the South Asian country.
The first intelligence-based operation was conducted in North Waziristan district, which borders Afghanistan, during which six militants were killed, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
Another joint intelligence-based operation by police and security forces was conducted in the Kurram district, which led to the killing of five other Pakistani Taliban militants in a fire exchange.
“Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from killed Indian-sponsored khwarij (militants), who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharja (militant) found in the area.”
There was no immediate comment by New Delhi to the Pakistani military statement.
Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in KP in recent years. Militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have frequently targeted convoys of security forces, police stations and check-posts besides kidnapping government officials in the region.
Last year, the South Asian country saw 73 percent increase in combat-related deaths, with both security forces and militants suffering casualties in large numbers.
As per statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), combat-related deaths in 2025 rose 73 percent to 3,387, compared with 1,950 in 2024. These deaths included 2,115 militants, 664 security forces personnel, 580 civilians and 28 members of pro-government peace committees (combatants), the think tank said in a press release.
Islamabad has frequently accused Afghanistan of allowing its soil and India of backing militant groups, including the TTP, for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi have consistently denied this.
