Naqvi warns 22 terror groups regrouping in Afghanistan

European states praise Pakistan’s anti-smuggling crackdown at ministers’ moot

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday warned that 22 terrorist organisations are regrouping in Afghanistan, saying Pakistan currently stands as “a wall between terrorists and the world”.

The remarks came as Naqvi led Pakistan’s delegation at a six-country interior ministers’ conference on illegal immigration and human smuggling held in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. He briefed participants on the evolving situation along the Pak-Afghan border and called for enhanced international cooperation to tackle transnational threats.

Interior ministers from Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, along with Finland’s state secretary, attended the meeting and praised Pakistan’s efforts against illegal migration and human trafficking. The participants agreed to develop a coordinated roadmap to discourage illegal immigration while promoting legal migration channels. They also endorsed joint measures to curb human smuggling and decided to appoint focal persons in their interior ministries to improve coordination.

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Detailed consultations were held on internal security, counterterrorism, border management and anti-narcotics cooperation, with participants stressing closer intelligence sharing among law enforcement agencies. Naqvi said Pakistan’s crackdown on human smuggling networks had produced encouraging results, claiming illegal migration from Pakistan to Europe had declined by 47%. He added that Pakistan and European countries could jointly overcome the challenge through sustained cooperation.

Productive meeting in Rome with my counterparts from Italy, Spain and Greece at the 4-nation conference on curbing illegal migration.

Pakistan, Italy, Spain & Greece agreed on a coordinated strategy against illegal migration, human smuggling and narcotics, including a joint… pic.twitter.com/46ruUqNCyb

— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) February 26, 2026

Separately, during a visit to Rome, Naqvi held meetings with his counterparts from Italy, Spain and Greece on the sidelines of a four-nation conference on illegal migration. The European ministers praised Pakistan’s measures and supported Islamabad’s proposal to block irregular migration through structured legal pathways.

In a key development, the countries agreed that the European Union would enhance Pakistan’s capacity-building efforts and fully support institutions working against illegal immigration. The sides also decided to adopt a comprehensive multi-level strategy against human trafficking and drug smuggling, develop a joint policy framework, and repatriate criminals involved in serious offences from Europe to Pakistan for legal action.

The ministers further agreed to strengthen cooperation across areas of mutual interest and establish a rapid response mechanism for coordinated action, while deciding to hold the next meeting in Pakistan later this year.