Pakistan, Sudan sign visa-free travel agreement for official, diplomatic passport holders

<p>Pakistan and Sudan on Saturday signed an agreement on visa-free travel for official and diplomatic passport holders, according to a statement by the Ministry of Interior.</p> <p>“Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Sudanese Interior Minister Lt Gen Babiker Samra Mustafa Ali signed the agreement,” the ministry said on the social media platform X.</p> <figure class="media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet"> <div class="media__item media__item--twitter "><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/MOIofficialGoP/status/2119031348354818397?a=bo6eIJNPYfw-5XKtHAM&amp;s=20"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>“Under the agreement, holders of Pakistani and Sudanese official and diplomatic passports will be able to enter each other’s countries without a visa,” it stated.</p> <p>“Both interior ministers welcomed the visa-free entry agreement for official and diplomatic passports,” the statement said.</p> <p>“This agreement marks an important milestone in bilateral relations between Pakistan and Sudan,” it added.</p> <p>The statement emphasised that the visa-free facility would further facilitate high-level contacts and exchanges of delegations between Pakistan and Sudan.</p> <p>“New opportunities will emerge to promote official-level ties and mutual cooperation between the two countries.”</p> <p>“The agreement will further strengthen friendly relations and institutional cooperation between Pakistan and Sudan, the Sudanese interior minister was quoted as saying.</p> <p>“Both interior ministers reaffirmed their commitment to further consolidating and strengthening bilateral relations,” the statement added.</p> <p>Earlier on Saturday, both countries also decided to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in combating cybercrime, the statement by the interior ministry said.</p> <p>The decision was taken during delegation-level talks between interior ministers of both countries. Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry also attended the meeting.</p> <p>The Sudanese interior minister said his country wanted to benefit from Pakistan’s expertise and experience in combating cybercrime, the statement said.</p> <p>“The two sides also agreed to expand cooperation in security, internal affairs, police training, institutional cooperation, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) and other sectors.”</p> <p>“Pakistan is ready to extend all possible cooperation to Sudan in peace-building and reconstruction,” Naqvi was quoted as saying.</p> <p>“Pakistan is also ready to provide professional training to Sudanese police officers,” the interior minister said during the meeting.</p> <p>Briefing the visiting minister, Naqvi said that with Nadra’s cooperation, 36 million citizenship cards, 9 million national identity cards, 18 million birth certificates and 500,000 death certificates had been issued in Sudan. He said Nadra was ready to continue cooperation in the civil registration process.</p> <p>On a query by the Sudanese minister, Naqvi ordered immediate resolution of visa issues faced by married Sudanese women in Pakistan, the statement said.</p> <p>“Sudanese citizens can avail medical facilities in Pakistan and will be provided every possible facility in the health sector,” Naqvi said.</p> <p>“Pakistan is a brotherly country and Sudan attaches great importance to cooperation with it in all fields,” the Sudanese interior minister was quoted as saying.</p> <p>He expressed the desire to promote cooperation in various sectors and thanked Pakistan for its cooperation.</p> <p>A day ago, the Sudanese interior minister held a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2042634">meeting</a> with Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and discussed avenues to enhance bilateral cooperation between their countries.</p> <p>On Thursday, he also met Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.</p> <p>In a meeting with the prime minister, he commended Pakistan’s support on international forums regarding efforts to restore peace and security in Sudan.</p>