ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Turkiye on Tuesday to discuss a range of issues, including security and the prevention of human trafficking, with officials on the sidelines of an international conference in Istanbul, according to an official statement issued in Islamabad.
The two countries have expressed growing concerns over the rise in human trafficking, particularly involving vulnerable migrants attempting to cross into Europe illegally. Many Pakistanis, driven by economic uncertainty, have fallen victim to traffickers, with some losing their lives while crossing seas on unsafe boats.
As Turkiye remains a key transit route for people trying to reach Europe without using official channels, both sides have worked to strengthen cooperation on this issue. Security remains another critical area of collaboration, particularly in countering transnational militant networks that threaten regional stability.
“Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi will participate in an important international conference in Istanbul, which he is attending on the invitation of Turkiye’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” the interior ministry announced on social media after Naqvi’s arrival in Istanbul. “The minister will represent Pakistan at the international conference and will meet with Turkiye’s cabinet ministers and top leadership.”
“During the visit to Turkiye, discussions will focus on promoting bilateral cooperation on a sustainable basis,” the statement added. “Talks will also be held with Turkiye’s ministers and leadership on enhancing cooperation in areas like border management, security and the prevention of human trafficking.”
Turkiye and Pakistan also share close diplomatic ties, strengthened by mutual support on regional and international issues.
Their defense collaboration includes significant joint ventures, such as Turkiye’s modernization of Pakistan’s submarines and the construction of MILGEM-class corvettes for the Pakistan Navy.
These projects have enhanced Pakistan’s maritime capabilities, reflecting a deepening strategic partnership.
Pakistani minister visits Turkiye to discuss security, prevention of human trafficking
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Pakistani minister visits Turkiye to discuss security, prevention of human trafficking
- Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Istanbul on Erdoğan’s invitation to attend an international conference
- Both countries share close diplomatic ties, strengthened by mutual support on global issues
Death toll in Pakistan shopping plaza fire rises to 67, officials say
- Rescue teams still searching for damaged Gul Plaza in Karachi where blaze erupted on Saturday, says police surgeon
- Karachi has a long history of deadly fires, often linked to poor safety standards, weak regulatory enforcement
KARACHI: The death toll from a devastating fire at a shopping plaza in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi jumped to 67 on Thursday after police and a hospital official confirmed that the remains of dozens more people had been found.
Police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed said rescue teams were still searching the severely damaged Gul Plaza in the Karachi, where the blaze erupted on Saturday.
Most remains were discovered in fragments, making identification extremely difficult, but the deaths of 67 people have been confirmed, she said. Asad Raza, a senior police official in Karachi, also confirmed the death toll. Authorities previously had confirmed 34 deaths.
Family members of the missing have stayed near the destroyed plaza and hospital, even after providing their DNA for testing. Some have tried to enter the building forcibly, criticizing the rescue efforts as too slow.
“They are not conducting the search properly,” said Khair-un-Nisa, pointing toward the rescuers. She stood outside the building in tears, explaining that a relative who had left to go shopping has been missing since the blaze.
Another woman, Saadia Saeed, said her brother has been trapped inside the building since Saturday night, and she does not know what has happened to him.
“I am ready to go inside the plaza to look for him, but police are not allowing me,” she said.
There was no immediate comment from authorities about accusations they have been too slow.
Many relatives of the missing claim more lives could have been saved if the government had acted more swiftly. Authorities have deployed police around the plaza to prevent relatives from entering the unstable structure, while rescuers continue their careful search.
Investigators say the blaze erupted at a time when most shop owners were either closing for the day or had already left. Since then, the Sindh provincial government has said around 70 people were missing after the flames spread rapidly, fueled by goods such as cosmetics, clothing, and plastic items.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though police have indicated that a short circuit may have triggered the blaze.
Karachi has a long history of deadly fires, often linked to poor safety standards, weak regulatory enforcement, and illegal construction.
In November 2023, a shopping mall fire killed 10 people and injured 22. One of Pakistan’s deadliest industrial disasters occurred in 2012, when a garment factory fire killed at least 260 people.
