ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates have appointed special representatives to coordinate anti-narcotics efforts and bolster intelligence sharing and joint operations against drug trafficking networks, the interior ministry in Islamabad said on Thursday.
The decision was announced after talks in Islamabad between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, chairman of the UAE’s National Anti-Narcotics Authority.
The move ties into broader regional efforts, following April’s Pakistan-hosted Pak-GCC Anti-Narcotics Conference, where Gulf states agreed to deepen cooperation against the smuggling of heroin, synthetic drugs and precursors across the region.
“For strengthening anti-narcotics cooperation, Pakistan appointed DG ANF Major General Abdul Mueed, while the UAE appointed Brig. Tahir Gharib as special representative,” a statement from the Pakistani interior ministry said.
Naqvi welcomed the establishment of the UAE’s federal anti-narcotics body and congratulated Sheikh Zayed on becoming its first chairman, calling it a milestone in bilateral cooperation. He said Pakistan was acting as a “frontline force” in the fight against drugs and stressed that those involved in the “heinous trade” were being dealt with firmly.
