ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Lebanon have signed an agreement allowing convicted nationals to serve the remainder of their prison sentences in their home countries, the Pakistani government said on Monday, as the two nations seek to deepen security cooperation amid continuing conflict in the Middle East.

The agreement was signed during Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar’s two-day visit to Islamabad, where he held talks with Pakistan’s prime minister, president and military chief focused on expanding cooperation in security, law enforcement and other areas.

“The MoU [memorandum of understanding] provides a legal framework for convicted nationals to serve the remainder of their sentences in their home countries,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said in a statement.

The deal was signed by Al-Hajjar and his Pakistani counterpart Mohsin Naqvi and witnessed by Sharif during the Lebanese minister’s meeting with the prime minister.

The statement did not specify how many Pakistani or Lebanese prisoners could potentially benefit from the arrangement or when transfers under the agreement could begin.

Sharif and Al-Hajjar also reviewed bilateral relations and discussed growing cooperation between Pakistan and Lebanon in interior and security affairs.

Pakistan and Lebanon have long maintained cordial relations, though official security and diplomatic exchanges have become more frequent this year amid escalating regional conflicts. In April, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam sought Pakistan’s support in securing an immediate end to Israeli attacks on Lebanon while thanking Islamabad for its regional peace efforts.

Lebanese Armed Forces commander General Rodolphe Haykal also visited Pakistan in June and met Field Marshal Asim Munir for talks on regional security, defense cooperation and strengthening military ties, including training and institutional links.

The official interactions come as Israel occupies about 10 kilometers of land inside Lebanon along the border, while more than 4,300 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since March, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

Sharif “condemned, in the strongest terms, Israel’s aggression against Lebanon” during his meeting with Al-Hajjar and expressed sympathy over the loss of lives and property caused by the attacks, according to his office.

“He reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with the Lebanese leadership and people during these difficult times, and reiterated Pakistan’s steadfast support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement added.

Pakistan has sought a mediating role in regional conflicts, including between the US and Iran.

Talks involving Washington and Tehran under a Pakistan- and Qatar-mediated process in June also established a de-confliction mechanism involving Lebanon aimed at supporting an end to military operations there.

However, fighting in Lebanon has continued. The US and Iran have also stepped up attacks in region, with both sides blaming each other for violating the interim agreement.