Brussels (TDI): Pakistan and Iraq have agreed to enhance bilateral coordination to ensure smoother travel and improved security for Pakistani pilgrims visiting Iraq.
The understanding was reached during a high-level meeting between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Iraqi Interior Minister General Abdul Ameer Al-Shammari in Brussels on Friday.
The two ministers discussed long-term cooperation between their interior ministries, focusing on streamlining pilgrim travel, strengthening administrative coordination, and ensuring overall safety.
They also committed to broader collaboration in areas such as counterterrorism, prevention of human trafficking, and information sharing through a joint mechanism.
Minister Naqvi expressed gratitude to the Iraqi government and people for their traditional hospitality and reiterated that the safety, dignity, and facilitation of Pakistani pilgrims remain a top priority for the Government of Pakistan.
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He also highlighted that pilgrims would not be allowed to overstay beyond the approved period, with both countries’ relevant authorities maintaining close coordination to ensure compliance.
General Al-Shammari appreciated Pakistan’s recent efforts to formally organise and regulate pilgrim groups, calling them “commendable” and noting that such measures were implemented for the first time under the current administration.
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He assured that all pilgrims listed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior would be granted entry into Iraq. The Iraqi minister also announced plans to visit Pakistan soon to finalise a joint framework for enhanced pilgrim facilitation, improved security cooperation, and the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries.
