Regional meeting begins in Pakistan with anti- terror cooperation top on agenda

Interior Ministers from eight regional states Saturday opened a day-long meeting in Pakistan's capital Islamabad with anti-terror cooperation top issue on agenda, officials said.

Ministers from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, are attending the conference.

Officials said that the 45-point agenda also includes counter- terrorism strategy, anti-human trafficking, visa issues, drug law enforcement, narcotics, drugs, and psychotropic substance, cooperation in police matters and information-sharing mechanism.

The conference of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) will deliberate on ways to implement police networking and exchange of information, officials said.

The conference will also discuss issues related to SAARC visas in the backdrop of proposals for expanding this category of travel documents.

Currently lawmakers, judges, 100 identified business leaders, sports persons and 150 journalists are availing SAARC Visa facility.

The meeting is also discussing a proposal to set up a "SAARC Police" on the pattern of Interpol.

An important proposal presented by Sri Lanka suggests formation of "SAARC Police" to help detect trans-national crimes, control terrorism and arrest wanted people, officials said.

Pakistan has submitted a proposal for setting up an institute of criminology in the country to keep abreast security personnel of member countries of latest techniques of crime prevention and detection. India has demanded expansion of the information-sharing mechanism.

Officials said that a joint declaration will be issued at the end of the meeting.

Source: Xinhua