Pakistan offers Iraq police training, urges halt to withholding pilgrims’ passports

ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday discussed the possibility of training Iraqi police in Pakistan during a meeting with a delegation from the Arab state, where he also raised the issue of not withholding the passports of Pakistani pilgrims.
Pakistan and Iraq have discussed law enforcement cooperation in recent years, focusing on enhancing collaboration in counterterrorism, counternarcotics and intelligence-sharing.
The two sides also focused on several bilateral issues as Naqvi welcomed Commander of Iraq’s Rapid Response Unit, Lt. Gen. Dr. Tahamir Ismail, at his office in Islamabad.
“The conversation included training Iraqi police in Pakistan and collaboration on the Safe City Project,” said a statement released by the ministry after the meeting. “They discussed enhancing mutual cooperation to prevent illegal immigration and human trafficking.”
The interior minister also requested the Iraqi authorities not to withhold Pakistani pilgrims’ passports visiting their country.
“They discussed matters of mutual interest, including providing more facilities to Pakistani pilgrims in Iraq and eliminating the requirement of keeping their passports,” the statement added.
Pakistani pilgrims frequently travel to Iraq, particularly to visit the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf, which are significant religious sites for Shia Muslims. The journeys of these pilgrims are often organized by tour operators who arrange their visas, travel and accommodation.
In recent years, the Iraqi government has implemented stricter controls, including the practice of temporarily keeping passports to prevent pilgrims from overstaying their visas, which has been a particular concern for pilgrims from economically struggling regions like Pakistan.
The Iraqi commander said that pilgrims coming from Pakistan were highly respected and added he would discuss the issue with the director general of passports in his country.