DHAKA, Pakistan: Senior officials from seven South Asian countries failed for the second time in two months to each an agreement on a common strategy to deal with growing terrorism in their region, official sou1¢es said on Monday.
They said serios differences erupted as Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka debated for two days on a definition of terrorism and laws for extradition.
A spokesman said Sri Lanka, Nepal and host Bangladesh submitted three separate lists of terrorist activities in the region but India, for example, objected to labeling Tamil separatists in northern Sri Lanka as terrorists.
In July the seven nations of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) failed to work out a collective plan against terrorism when India insisted on inclusion of Sikh militants in the definition and Sri Lanka wanted Tamil guerillas included.
The spokesman said the meeting which began on Saturday finalised recommendations will be placed for approval at the SAARC Council of Ministers at the second summit of South Asian leaders in Bangalore in India, in November the spokesman said.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 17, 1986
