PAKISTAN-TURKEY: TERROR GROUPS CASH IN ON DRUG TRADE

Islamabad, 7 June (AKI/DAWN) - Pakistan and Turkey have expressed concern that some terrorist groups were involved in drug smuggling to generate money for terrorism. The two sides made the observations during a meeting at interior secretary level on international terrorism, human smuggling and drug trafficking that concluded in Islamabad on Tuesday. Sahabettin Harput, of the Turkish interior ministry, said most of the drugs were being produced and supplied throughout the world from Afghanistan because the government had failed to control the ever increasing poppy cultivation.

He said both Pakistan and Turkey had been suffering from the negative fallout of uncontrolled poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and trying hard to restrict smugglers from using their soils as transit station to export drugs from Afghanistan to rest of the world.

According to the joint declaration, Pakistan handed over a list of 26 Pakistani human traffickers who are reportedly residing in Turkey. A request has also been made to verify their whereabouts.

On the occasion the Turkish side agreed to provide entire data about Pakistanis arrested on the charges of human smuggling by June 30.

Both parties agreed to continue to improve the existing mechanisms of exchanging information concerning acts of terrorism and trans-national organised crime.