Aug 26 , 2015
News
'Pakistan cancels ANF chief’s visit to India'
Meeting on illegal narcotics trade to be held in September in New Delhi
INP
NEW DELHI – Pakistan will not send director general of the Anti-Narcotics Force to attend a meeting to be held in New Delhi next month on illegal narcotics trade, India’s The Economic Times newspaper reported.
The decision comes days after the scheduled talks between National Security and Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval were called off just hours before the Pakistan delegation was set to fly to New Delhi.
The meeting of South Asian counties on illegal narcotics trade is to be held in September under the Colombo Plan. “Pakistan has sent a terse note simply expressing regret over not being able to make it for the meeting on September 9-11,” the paper quoted unnamed Indian officials as saying.
The ‘official’ said that India ‘invited’ Pakistan after the neighbouring country had conveyed its keenness to be a part of the meeting. The delegation from Pakistan was to be the first to reach India after the scheduled adviser-level talks. “The withdrawal has come after the cancellation of the advisers talks,” said a senior Indian official, who did not wish to be named.
“It’s significant because this is, otherwise, a routine regional meeting,” the official said. Further, the official termed the development a big setback, claiming Pakistan to be an important country as far as to discuss and devise a strategy on smuggling, transit and supply of various forms of drugs. According to reports, India was planning to share information with Pakistan regarding suspected drug lords.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk