India-Pak trust deficit obstructing efforts to set up regional police network

ISLAMABAD - Even as the Interior Ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations meet here to bridge the gap amongst them and enhance cooperation, the massive trust deficit between India and Pakistan is said to be obstructing the proposal to set up a regional police network.

All SAARC members, except India and Pakistan have supported the proposal of establishing a regional police network (SAARCPOL), The Daily Times reports.

Sources privy to the ongoing Interior Ministers’ conference in Islamabad said neither India nor Pakistan is ready to share information on terrorists and criminals.

“Both India and Pakistan are opposed to the expansion of the information-sharing mechanism,” sources said.

The two nuclear armed neighbours are also not in consensus on the issue of networking arrangements among SAARC police authorities.

It is pertinent to mention here that according to the article 10 of the SAARC Charter, no proposal can be accepted without the support of all member countries.

It was Sri Lanka, which had tabled the proposal to set up a regional police network to help detect trans-national crimes, control terrorism and arrest wanted criminals. (ANI)