ISLAMABAD The three-day conference of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries concluded on Saturday with a resolve to extend cooperation to each other against terrorism. At the end of the final session, Secretary General SAARC Dr Sheel Kant Sharma and Pakistans Interior Minister Rehman Malik in a joint press conference termed the moot as the most successful. They said that during the meeting it was felt by the member countries that terrorism was badly afflicting the region, which resulted in extensive loss of precious human lives and properties. Dr Sheel Kant Sharma said that during the meeting, all the member countries agreed on 12-point agenda. In reply to a question, he said that plan of establishment of Institute of Criminology was underway. He said that paper work for increasing maritime security suggested by Maldives would be finalised soon. He lauded the Home Ministers countries and said, This was another level of comfort among SAARC Ministers evident from the fact that there was no split among them. He applauded both India and Pakistan for holding talks saying things could be changed through dialogue. The SAARC Secretary General said that during the meeting all members were on the same page against terrorism, drug trafficking and human smuggling. To a query, he said that despite having some differences, all member countries have been supporting the SAARC decisions. He said the next meeting of SAARC Interior Ministers would be held in Bhutan next year. To a question regarding the SAARC police, he said modalities are being finalised for constitution of regional police. We need capacity building of law enforcement agencies. We will work to find out deficiencies. The minister said that it was agreed that the SAARC platform would be strengthened and coordination among member states would be enhanced. He said it is time to think above country level and make efforts at regional level to wipe out terrorism. To a question about terrorism, he said all the countries had been on the same page against terrorists. If Taliban are here today, tomorrow they will proceed to other countries, he remarked. To a query, Malik said that Pakistani students in India would be treated like other countries students. He said that terrorism badly affected all countries of the region in general and Pakistan in particular. All the member countries were agreed that it was the real time for intelligence information sharing, and existing Sri Lankan based SAARC Terrorism Offences Monitoring Desk would be strengthened to the real time information sharing, Malik added. He said that there should be interfaith harmony among the members as no religion allowed to carry out terrorism activities. He also informed that in this connection a moot on interfaith harmony would be held in Sri Lanka in near future. The text of the Islamabad SAARC Ministerial Statement on Cooperation against terrorism passed at the end of the three-day moot says, Recognising that terrorism poses a serious threat to the peace and security of our region; Expressing deep concern at the continuing scourge of terrorism afflicting the region, which has caused extensive loss of human life, destruction and damage to property; Taking note of the fact that peace and harmony, friendly and good neighbourly relations, and cooperation and prosperity of the region are being threatened by terrorism; Recognising that sovereign equality, mutual respect and the principles of non-intervention and non-interference in the internal affairs of Member States consistent with the SAARC Charter, shall remain the basis of our cooperation in the war against terror; 1)We the Interior/Home Ministers of SAARC Member States today in Islamabad. a. Recall and uphold the Colombo Ministerial Declaration on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism adopted by the Thirty-first Session of the Council of Ministers of February 2009. b. Reiterate our commitment to strengthen the SAARC regime against terrorism. c. Reaffirm our commitment to further strengthen cooperation to fight and eradicate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. d. Emphasize the importance of a coordinated and concerted response to combat terrorism. e. Underline our commitment to implement measures against the organisation, instigation, financing and facilitation of a terrorist activity. f. Reiterate to take appropriate measures, administrative and legal, to ensure that our respective territories are not used for terrorist installations or training camps or for the preparation or organisation of terrorist acts intended to be committed against other States or their citizens. g. Express our resolve to ensure that our nationals and entities within our territories that commit or attempt to commit, facilitate or participate in the commission of terrorist acts are appropriately punished h. Underscore our commitment to apprehend and prosecute or extradite persons connected, directly or indirectly, with the commission of acts of terrorism. i. Reiterate that we shall contribute to the efforts in the UN General Assembly for early adoption of the UN Draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism j. Emphasize that linkages between terrorism, the illegal trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substance, illegal trafficking of persons and firearms and threats to maritime security remain a matter of serious concern and reiterate our commitment to address these problems in a comprehensive manner. k. Emphasize the need to strengthen regional cooperation to fight terrorism and Transnational organised crime and reaffirm our commitment implement the SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and its Additional Protocol and SAARC Convention on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. l. Underscore the importance of the SAARC Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and call for its ratification. 2) Our respective countries shall extended cooperation to each other against terrorism while remaining within the purview of our national laws and procedures and our international commitments and following the principle of non-interference and non-intervention in each others affairs.