Pakistan has handed over a list of human traffickers to Iran, while Tehran assured Pakistan that no one from Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) would take refuge in Iran as this outfit has been banned by Pakistan government, said Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah. Briefing media regarding recent Pak-Iran Special Security Committee held in Tehran, Shah said during his visit he met senior officials of Iranian Interior Ministry who assured support to Pakistan government in curbing illegal cross border infiltration by any element. He said the two sides underscored the need to further strengthen bilateral ties to combat terrorism and human and drug trafficking. Shah said the meeting was held between the Interior Ministries of two countries after a lapse of three years, its last meeting was held in May 2003. He said wide ranging issues from border controls to terrorism including exchange of prisoners, human trafficking and drug controls were discussed during the two-day meeting. Regarding border control both sides reiterated the need to enhance cooperation between the neighboring provinces of Iranian Sistan and Balochistan and Pakistan's Balochistan and underscored the need for joint border commission to meet regularly to address issues relating to border control measures. It was decided that field commanders and senior commanders of the two provinces would meet on monthly and quarterly basis respectively for exchange of information relating to cross border movement. During the meeting Iranian side, on the request of Pakistan, agreed to grant consular access to 94 Pakistani prisoners detained in Iranian jails. Recognizing that terrorism poses threat to both countries, the meeting resolved to intimately cooperate with each other in combating the menace through exchange of information and intelligence.
