Drugs: India, Pak exchange draft MoUs

These issues were discussed in detail during the official-level talks between Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau Swaraj Puri and his Pakistani counterpart from the Anti-Narcotics Force Maj Gen Nadeem Ahmed.

In a joint statement issued at the end of the two-day talks today, both sides stated that they 8216;8216;positively engaged8217;8217; with each other on issues related to the trafficking of drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals. They exchanged views on enhancing bilateral cooperation by sharing of information and operational intelligence.

Taking forward the decision at a meeting between the two foreign secretaries in August for institutonalising agency-to-agency cooperation, both sides exchanged draft MoUs addressing the subject. It was agreed that the next official-level meeting would be in June next year.

On the draft MoU, sources said, India has asked Pakistan to set up an effective monitoring system of checking the supply of acetic anhydride, a percursor chemical needed for making heroin from opium.

Meanwhile, India and Pakistan began two-day discussions on nuclear CBMs in Islamabad. The Indian delegation is led by Meera Shankar, Additional Secretary in the MEA. In separate talks at Rawalpindi, officials met to discuss ways to resolve the dispute in the demarcation of the maritime boundary in the Sir Creek area.