ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the European Union (EU) officials held their 9th Counter-Terrorism Dialogue in Brussels and discussed regional and global challenges, including the situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the Pakistani foreign office said on Thursday.
The dialogue is part of the broader 2019 Strategic Engagement Plan between the EU and Pakistan, which seeks to enhance mutual engagement on security matters and regional cooperation. It reflects a shared determination to address the evolving challenges posed by militancy.
The development comes amid a turmoil in the Middle East resulting from Israeli military actions against several regional countries, including the war on Gaza, as well as fears among some nations, including Pakistan, about the resurgence of militant groups in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has repeatedly called on Israel and world powers for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon and Syria. Islamabad has also accused Afghanistan of supporting militant groups amid a recent surge in militancy in Pakistan’s western regions, an allegation denied by Kabul.
“The European Union and Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and confirmed their steadfast commitment to fight it. The Dialogue allowed for an exchange on regional and global challenges, including the security implications of the situation in Afghanistan and in other areas, like the Middle East,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.
“Both parties confirmed the importance of a strong cooperation with international partners in multilateral fora. This includes the work in the United Nations’ framework and in the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, which the EU has been co-chairing since 2022.”
Abdul Hameed, director-general for counter-terrorism at the Pakistani foreign ministry, led the Pakistan side, while the EU delegation was headed by Maciej Stadejek, director for security and defense policy at the European External Action Service.
“The European Union and Pakistan also discussed areas for exchange of best practices and for concrete cooperation, with a focus on common actions on prevention and countering of violent extremism, recruitment and movement of foreign fighters, offline and online radicalization, combating terrorism financing and more topics that are relevant to address the growing challenges posed by terrorism,” the foreign office added.
Pakistan, EU officials discuss Middle East, Afghanistan situation among global security challenges
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Pakistan, EU officials discuss Middle East, Afghanistan situation among global security challenges
- The talks were part of 2019 Strategic Engagement Plan between the EU and Pakistan, which seeks to enhance mutual engagement on security matters
- Both sides exchanged views on countering of ‘violent extremism, recruitment and movement of foreign fighters, offline and online radicalization’
Bodies of Pakistani nationals who died attempting illegal migration repatriated from Iran
- Pakistan’s envoy in Tehran warns youth against human smugglers after deaths in harsh weather
- Pakistan reported sharp fall in illegal migration to Europe this year amid nationwide crackdown
ISLAMABAD: The bodies of two Pakistani nationals, who died near the Iran-Türkiye border after attempting to travel illegally to Europe, have been repatriated to the country, said a senior diplomat on Tuesday, reiterating warnings against human smugglers amid an intensified crackdown by authorities in Islamabad on illegal migration.
Pakistan says it has stepped up action against illegal immigration and human trafficking in recent years, reporting a 47% drop in illegal migration to Europe this year and the arrest of more than 1,700 suspected human smugglers, according to official figures.
However, people continue to attempt dangerous irregular journeys in search of work and better economic opportunities abroad.
“The mortal remains of Pakistani nationals Mr. Armanullah s/o Gul Rahman and Mr. Ihtasham s/o Mukhtar Gul, both residents of Nowshera, have been repatriated to Pakistan through Taftan border earlier today,” Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, said in a post on social media platform X. “Both had fallen victim to the greed of human smugglers and lost their lives in extremely harsh weather conditions near Iran’s border with Turkiye.”
“I once again request the youth back home not to be trapped by human smugglers and instead follow the legal path to travel abroad,” he added, thanking the government of the Balochistan province in Pakistan for arranging the transportation of the bodies and offering condolences to the victims’ families.
The issue illegal immigration has drawn heightened scrutiny since 2023, when hundreds of people, including Pakistani nationals, died attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in an overcrowded vessel that sank off the Greek coast, prompting Islamabad to launch nationwide investigations into human smuggling and trafficking networks.
Authorities have since arrested Pakistani and foreign nationals at airports with forged travel documents, highlighting the scale of document fraud linked to illegal departures.
In September, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) released a list of more than 100 of Pakistan’s “most wanted” human smugglers and identified major trafficking hubs across Punjab province and the capital, Islamabad.
Earlier this month, Pakistan announced plans to roll out an artificial intelligence-based immigration screening system at Islamabad airport from January, aimed at detecting forged documents and preventing illegal travel abroad, as part of broader efforts to curb human smuggling and unauthorized migration.
