Pakistan will host the first meeting of a newly-created four-nation joint working group to boost cooperation in combating human trafficking, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao says, according to an official statement. Interior ministers of Pakistan, Greece, Turkey and Iran set up the group at a meeting in Athens this week. The decisions to be taken at the Islamabad meeting would go a long way in strengthening the campaign against the universal problem, the Interior minister said. He said Pakistan would continue to cooperate with all countries in the fight against human smuggling and other serious crimes. Sherpao said in addition to the joint working group the ministerial meeting at Athens decided to reinforce the measures already in place and to establish a more effective mechanism for exchange of information. "We will introduce an early warning system to inform each other about any large scale movement of illegal migrants," he said. The Interior minister highlighted the benefits of regular exchange of information and know-how for combating illegal migration, corruption, narcotics and organized crime. Sherpao said that Pakistan was in the forefront of the efforts of the international community to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Pakistan, he said, has put in place legislation as well as effective measures for curbing terrorism, human smuggling and other such crimes.
