ISLAMABAD: The member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on Saturday reiterated their commitment to strengthen the SAARC regime against terrorism.
They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen cooperation to fight and eradicate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Principle: According to the SAARC Ministerial Statement on Cooperation Against Terrorism issued at the conclusion of the four-day SAARC Interior Ministers’ Conference, the member countries should extend cooperation to each other against terrorism while remaining within the purview of their national laws, following the principles of non-interference and non-intervention in each others’ affairs.
They also underscored their commitment to apprehend and prosecute or extradite people connected with the commission of acts of terrorism.
Addressing a press conference after the moot, SAARC Secretary General Sheel Kant Sharma said the SAARC conference expressed deep concern at the continuing scourge of terrorism afflicting the region, which had caused extensive loss of human life as well as destruction and damage to property.
Maturity: To a question, he said Pakistan and India had always shown maturity in keeping intact the SAARC platform despite their differences, adding that both the countries had supported SAARC decisions.
He said the next meeting of SAARC interior/home ministers would be held in Bhutan next year, prior to this meeting the technical sessions would be held at the end of this year.
SAARCPOL: The proposal for setting up a SAARC regional police force (SAARCPOL) on the pattern of Interpol would remain a proposal until the next meeting as the conference could not move forward on the Sri Lankan proposal due to differences on modalities among member states.
Source: Daily Times – 27.06.2010