SAARC vows joint fight against terror, crimes

NEW DELHI—Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said Pakistan has extended full cooperation to Saarc countries for eradication of terrorism and crimes.
Talking to reporters here on Thursday after the second Saarc Home Ministers conference, the Minister said Pakistan highlighted its role as front line state and expressed its commitment to Saarc conventions on suppression of terrorism, drug and human trafficking and crimes in the region.
There was unanimous views among the delegates that Saarc Regional conventions on Suppression of Terrorism and Additional protocols as well the Saarc Convention on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances be strengthened and cooperation among police departments should be enhanced to curb crimes in the region.
It was decided at the conference to hold meeting of Police Chiefs of Saarc countries in February next year in Islamabad to discuss modalities for establishing electronic networking among police departments. In principle, the decision has been taken to set up this mechanism for exchanging information, the Minister said.
It was decided to hold third Saarc Home Ministers conference in the second half of 2008. The Minister said Pakistan extended offer to Afghanistan for training of police personnel when the request was made by the Afghan delegation in this regard. Pakistan had already trained Afghan police personnel. The decision was also taken to extend Saarc visa exemption stickers to retired Supreme Court judges and serving high court judges in the Saarc region.
When asked about the Indian proposed Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, the Minister said the member countries including Pakistan will examine it. Pakistan was taking all legal and administrative measures to strengthen conventions of Saarc. It has recently enforced money laundering ordinance in Pakistan. During the conference, the member countries condemned terrorist acts in Pakistan and India. When asked his meetings with Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Zarar Ahmed Moqbel, he said these were basically courtesy meetings. However, issues relating to visas, confidence building measures and people to people contact came under discussion with the Indian Minister. With Afghan Home Minister, he said cross border movement and issues relating to terrorism were discussed.
In his opening statement at the conference, Aftab Ahmed khan Sherpao said the Saarc charter upholds the high ideals of peace, stability, amity, good neighbourly relations and mutual cooperation in South Asia. Since terrorism is not confined to a single country or one region, there is need for evolving consensus levels, bilateral, regional and global on a counter terrorism strategy incorporating both the short and long term measures that work in tandem.
Pakistan has offered great sacrifices in fight against terrorism and it is the worst victim of terrorism. Earlier, the conference of Home Ministers held at Vigyan Bhawan deliberated on various issues including terrorism, drug and human trafficking and crimes. It also adopted working paper prepared at the Secretary level meeting on Wednesday.—Agencies
Later, the Interior Minister along with other delegates left here for Agra to hold informal deliberations at Agra resort. Meanwhile, Indian Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta told mediaperson after the conference, the delegates noted that terrorism remains a serious threat to sustainable peace and development in the Saarc region.