ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Türkiye signed an agreement on Friday to strengthen cooperation against militant violence, drug trafficking and organized crime, Pakistan’s interior ministry said, adding that Türkiye had reported a sharp decline in irregular migration from Pakistan following Islamabad’s crackdown on human smuggling networks.

The agreement was signed during a meeting between Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Turkish counterpart, Mustafa Çiftçi, in Istanbul. The two countries also agreed to establish a joint working group to strengthen coordination between their interior ministries.

The agreement comes as Pakistan intensifies its crackdown on human smuggling networks following deadly migrant boat disasters involving Pakistani nationals and seeks closer international partnerships against trafficking and transnational organized crime.

“The two interior ministers signed the agreement to enhance cooperation between Pakistan and Türkiye to combat terrorism, narcotics and organized crime,” the statement said.

Both sides also agreed to expand cooperation through technical assistance, exchanges of experts and joint initiatives, including in cyber policing, narcotics control and police training. Cooperation would also involve Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force and National Police Academy.

Çiftçi told Naqvi that the rate of irregular migration from Pakistan to Türkiye had fallen from 70 percent to 17 percent, according to the Pakistani statement, which did not specify the period covered.

The Turkish minister praised Pakistan’s measures to curb irregular migration, while Naqvi briefed him on the results of Islamabad’s crackdown on networks facilitating unauthorized travel abroad.

Pakistan has sought to complement domestic enforcement with international cooperation. Earlier this week, it agreed with the United Kingdom and Poland to strengthen cooperation on irregular migration, narcotics and organized crime, including through proposed agreements on law enforcement and legal assistance.

The latest agreement with Türkiye expands that cooperation to counterterrorism, cyber policing and narcotics enforcement, with both governments committing to closer coordination between their law enforcement institutions.