NEW DELHI: India and the U.K. are likely to sign an agreement to confiscate on a reciprocal basis the assets of militants and drug runners in either country Indian High Commissioner to the U.K. LM. Singhvi said.
To be signed during the four day of the British Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd beginning Wednesday the pact will give a new international model for cooperation against militants and be the first of its kind in the world where two countries act together on the subject he said.
Hurds visit is expected to endorse the achievement of the two countries in evolving a new legal regime for tackling the twin problems of terrorism and drug trafficking he said.
Hurds visit follows close upon the visit of British Home Secretary Kenneth Baker which had strengthened the political underpinning of the new legal regime he said.
The agreement would mean that if an organization was involved in these activities in one country it would be subject to forfeiture of funds and assets not only in that country but also in the other country.
Singhvi said orders of the courts of one country would also be executable in the other country. Furthermore under the authority of this agreement and the Terrorism Act searches and seizures could also be made There would have to be strong legal evidence to enforce the new arrangement under the legal systems of both countries.
Singhvi who is an eminent constitutional lawyer himself said the new arrangement would ensure a greater readiness to consider extradition which would also depend on strong and conclusive evidence collected by the country asking for extradition.
He said India would be creating an analogous legal regime to control terrorism and these laws would be the same as those in the U.K. This would mean that both countries will apply respective laws for the sake of each other.
Singhvi said it was his understanding that the two countries had agreed on an early conclusion of these arrangements While Bakers visit had laid the foundation for the U.K. on sharing Indias concern in respect of terrorism Hurds visit is expected to endorse these achievements.
He said Hurds visits expected to explore the areas of common perception and solutions to the problems in the subcontinent in the geopolitical region of Asia and in the world
Singhvi said the visit of the British their apparent Prince Charles soon after would not be merely ceremonial but was expected to cement the prevailing climate of good will besides providing continuity and common approaches in the development of youth activities between the two countries.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 24, 1992
