Interior ministers agree to strengthen cooperation in cybercrime prevention, police training, institutional development and civil registration during talks in Islamabad.
Pakistan and Sudan have agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation against cybercrime and expand bilateral collaboration in security, police training and institutional development.
The understanding was reached during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his visiting Sudanese counterpart, Lt. Gen. Babiker Samra Mustafa Ali, in Islamabad on Saturday. Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry also attended the meeting.
During the discussions, the Sudanese interior minister expressed his country’s interest in benefiting from Pakistan’s experience and expertise in combating cybercrime. Both sides agreed to broaden cooperation in internal security, police training, institutional development and civil registration.
Naqvi assured the Sudanese delegation that Pakistan was ready to provide all possible assistance to Sudan in peace-building and reconstruction. He also offered professional training programmes for Sudanese police officers to enhance their operational capabilities.
Highlighting Pakistan’s cooperation in civil registration, Naqvi discussed the role of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) in supporting Sudan’s registration system.
He said that with Nadra’s assistance, 36 million citizenship cards, nine million national identity cards, 18 million birth certificates and 500,000 death certificates had been issued in Sudan. He added that Nadra was prepared to continue supporting the country’s civil registration process.
The meeting also addressed difficulties faced by Sudanese nationals residing in Pakistan. After the Sudanese minister highlighted visa-related problems experienced by Sudanese women married to Pakistani citizens, Naqvi directed the relevant officials to resolve the issue immediately.
The Pakistani interior minister further assured the visiting delegation that Sudanese citizens could receive medical treatment in Pakistan and would be provided with all possible assistance in the health sector.
Expressing appreciation for Pakistan’s support, Lt. Gen. Babiker Samra Mustafa Ali described Pakistan as a brotherly country and said Sudan attached great importance to bilateral relations. He also expressed his desire to expand cooperation across various sectors.
The Sudanese minister’s visit included engagements with Pakistan’s senior military and political leadership. A day earlier, he met Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
He also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, during which he appreciated Pakistan’s support for international efforts aimed at restoring peace and security in Sudan.
The proposed MoU is expected to establish a framework for closer cooperation between Pakistan and Sudan, particularly in cybercrime prevention, internal security, police capacity-building and institutional development.
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