In a significant move to strengthen security ties, Pakistan and China have agreed to hold joint police and paramilitary exercises in the border region between Gilgit-Baltistan and Xinjiang. This development was confirmed in an official statement released on Saturday, following high-level talks between Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and China’s Minister for Political and Legal Affairs, Chen Mingguo, in Islamabad.
The two nations, which share a 600-kilometer border at Gilgit-Baltistan and Xinjiang, regard the region as a critical geopolitical and economic corridor, particularly due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). As a key project of Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), CPEC has elevated the strategic importance of these areas, driving both nations to collaborate more closely on security issues.
During the meeting, both sides acknowledged the need to bolster cooperation in various security domains, with particular emphasis on counter-terrorism, cross-border crime, anti-smuggling, and anti-narcotics operations. The joint statement highlighted plans for joint police and paramilitary exercises, to be held either in Gilgit-Baltistan or Xinjiang, alongside training programmes for Pakistani officers at the Xinjiang Police Academy.
“Pakistan is committed to eliminating the smuggling of drugs, arms, and other illicit goods into China,” stated Minister Naqvi, underlining Islamabad’s determination to enhance security measures in the region. His Chinese counterpart, Chen Mingguo, expressed China’s concerns regarding instability in Xinjiang, where the country continues to combat militancy and drug trafficking.
Mingguo also extended an invitation to Naqvi to visit Xinjiang, as both nations reiterated their commitment to strengthening cooperation across all fields, marking another chapter in the deepening partnership between the two neighboring countries.
