Pakistan and Sri Lanka have agreed to take immediate steps to facilitate the return of prisoners to their respective homelands. This agreement will see 43 Pakistani citizens repatriated from Sri Lankan jails, following a meeting between Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner, Admiral (Retd) Ravindra Chandra Srivijay Gunaratne, and Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, on Friday.

Both sides also agreed to enhance cooperation in security and counter-narcotics.

The Pakistani interior ministry has been working with Sri Lankan authorities over the past month to secure the return of the 43 Pakistani prisoners. The Sri Lankan high commissioner assured all possible cooperation in this regard.

Interior Minister Naqvi expressed his gratitude for the diplomat’s support in the repatriation process.

Following the meeting, Minister Naqvi announced that arrangements for the return of Pakistani prisoners would be finalized within a few days. He noted that relations between Sri Lanka and Pakistan have been strengthening over the past seven decades.