DUSHANBE, April 29, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Visiting Pakistan Minister of Interior Rehman Malik is scheduled to hold meetings with heads of Tajikistan’s ministries of interior and defense as well as state committee for national security and counternarcotics agency today, according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI).

The source at a MoI says Mr. Malik who is also a Pakistan Peoples Party senator is initiator of withdrawing Tajikistan from the so-called “black list” and including it on a list of the favorable viewed countries.

“The interior ministries of the two countries are expected to sign a protocol on cooperation that provides for development and signing of interstate or government-to-government agreement on combating terrorism, extremism ad organized crime,” said the source, “To-date, Tajikistan and Pakistan have concluded 22 various agreements, including the 2004 agreement on cooperation in combating illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors.”

He added that according to their information, many supporters of the irreconcilable Tajik opposition that had left the country for Afghanistan were currently in Pakistan’s Waziristan where they were fighting alongside the terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda, Sidj (phonetically spelled) and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).  “In this connection, Tajikistan hopes that the visit of the Pakistan interior minister will promote expansion of our cooperation in fighting international terrorism.”

The Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik will leave Tajikistan for Pakistan on April 30.