Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao says Pakistan has extended full cooperation to member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC for eradication of terrorism and crimes. He told the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) in New Delhi after the second SAARC Home Ministers conference that 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. Sherpao 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. The Minister said that 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. About his meeting with Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Sherpao said it was basically a courtesy call. However, issues relating to visas, confidence building measures and people to people contact came under discussion with the Indian Minister. He said cross border movement and issues relating to terrorism were discussed with the Afghan interior minister.
