Rajnath arrives in Islamabad to participate in SAARC meeting

Islamabad: Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday arrived in Islamabad to attend the SAARC Interior Ministers' conference on Thursday during which he is expected to raise the issue of most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and cross border terrorism.
Accompanied by a delegation comprising officials from his ministry and external affairs, Singh, who is on his maiden visit to Pakistan, will be underlining the need for meaningful cooperation among the South Asian countries.
Before leaving for Islamabad to attend the day-long SAARC Home Ministers Conference, the Home Minister said he was "looking forward to underscore the imperative of meaningful cooperation within the region against terrorism and organised crime."
"This conference provides a platform to discuss issues pertaining to security," said Singh.
Singh's visit comes notwithstanding threat by LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, who warned of a countrywide protest in Pakistan by his outfit if Singh arrives in Islamabad to attend the SAARC ministerial conference.
Wednesday's meeting is preceded by the 7th Meeting of the SAARC Interior/Home Secretaries. The Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, who is leading the Indian delegation, arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday.
There is little possibility of Singh having a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
Apart from terrorism, other key issues to be discussed include liberalisation of visa, illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and small arms and how to make coordinated and concerted efforts to combat such menace.
The three-tier meeting began at the joint secretary-level and then moves on to Secretary and Home Minister-level meetings.
The focus of the meeting will also be on strengthening networking among police forces of SAARC member-countries and also enhance information-sharing among law enforcement agencies.