Pakistan to send judicial commission to India: Malik

Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik having a meeting with Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram on his transit at New Delhi Airport on Friday. – Online Photo

THIMPHU, Bhutan:  The Home Minister of India, Mr. P. Chidambaram and Rehman Malik, Interior Minister of Pakistan met in Thimphu on the margins of the Fourth Meeting of SAARC, DawnNews reported.
The two ministers discussed matters of mutual interest and concern. The Indian home minister referred to the requests made by the Home Ministry of India, some of which were pending at the Pakistani side since their last meeting. Rehman Malik also sought an early response to some of the queries made in the same context.
Malik affirmed that his Ministry was working toward an early visit of a judicial commission from Pakistan to India. He expressed the hope that the visit would take place at an early date.
In response, Chidambaram reaffirmed that India was willing to receive such a visit. He said that India would also send a team to Pakistan, as agreed during the last Home Secretaries’ meeting in New Delhi.
The two Ministers agreed to ensure that their Ministries would remain in contact on these and other matters.

Malik proposes Saarc body for policing

 

Mr Malik, who presided over the conference, suggested constitution of SaarcPol, on the pattern of Interpol, and stressed the need for creating a Saarc commission with the objective of promoting harmony. He also called for the formation of a joint task force to control incidents of piracy in the Indian Ocean. — File Photo

THIMPHU, July 23: Interior Minister Rehman Malik emphasised the need on Saturday for coordinated and concerted efforts by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation to combat terrorism and money laundering.
Addressing the fourth Saarc Interior Ministers’ Conference here in the Bhutanese capital, he said Pakistan was making serious endeavours to eliminate the menaces from society.
Mr Malik, who presided over the conference, suggested constitution of SaarcPol, on the pattern of Interpol, and stressed the need for creating a Saarc commission with the objective of promoting harmony. He also called for the formation of a joint task force to control incidents of piracy in the Indian Ocean.
The minister said Pakistan, its people and armed forces had rendered great sacrifices in the war on terror and in preventing terrorists from fanning out to other parts of the country and the region. The war would continue till the elimination of terrorism, he added.
He said: “Pakistani people are suffering because of terrorism for 10 years. We experienced 7,485 bomb explosions out of which 3,800 were suicide bombings. More than 35,000 innocent Pakistanis have lost their lives in the war on terror.”
He said that after the attack on the Twin Towers in New York, Pakistan had paid a heavy price because people were facing incidents of 9/11 and Mumbai each and every day, but such incidents could not weaken the morale of Pakistanis who were committed to eliminating the menace.
Mr Malik said Pakistan had improved rules and regulations regarding border control and immigration.
He said in addition to amendments to the Anti-terrorism Act, security forces in Pakistan were being equipped with modern gadgets and they were being imparted training to improve their performance.
“It is important to introduce philosophy of inter-faith harmony. I appreciate the King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia who took forward this philosophy. Exploitation within the religion must end. We can adopt that philosophy for Saarc too because most of the countries of the region were suffering,” he added.
The minister informed the conference that Pakistan had banned activities of 31 organisations as part of its policy to combat terrorism and extremism and emphasised the need to change the mindset of people to control terrorism.
“It is a very crucial time because people are suffering, especially because of terrorism. The whole region of Saarc is suffering from it.”—APP