DUSHANBE, July 30, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- On Wednesday July 29, Tajik Minister of Interiors Abdurahim Qahhorov met here with visiting Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik, according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI).

The source at a MoI said that the sides had discussed issues related to cooperation between the two countries in fighting organized crimes, illicit drug trafficking  and international terrorism.

During the meeting, Qahhorov, in particular, noted that Tajikistan and Pakistan had first-hand knowledge of those events and realized that terrorism, organized crime, as well as trafficking in narcotics, weapons and human beings posed serious threat to peace and stability.

For his part, Pakistani minister noted that more than 250 members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) have been detained in Pakistan this year.  There are also Tajik nationals among them, Rehman Malik noted.

In the course of the talks, the Tajik side offered Pakistani colleagues to consider the draft agreement on combating organized crime and terrorism at intergovernmental level as well as the draft agreement on crime prevention cooperation at the interagency level.

According to the source, the documents provide for exchange of information about persons participating in organized criminal groups, involved in committing terrorist acts, diversions, political, religious and other types of extremism, as well as about channels of providing financial and other types of support to terrorist, extremist and drug-trafficking groups.

Pakistani interior minister supported the idea of singing of the interagency agreement and noted that the Pakistani side would also take all adequate measures to counter terrorism and raise efficiency of interaction between the sides, the source said.