NEW DELHI – India has rejected Nepal’s proposal to create the “SaarcPolice”, a regional body to counter terrorism, narcotics and humantrafficking, cyber crimes and other criminal activities.

The proposal was floated during a meeting of senior police officers andofficials responsible for countering drug and narcotics trafficking fromthe eight Saarc countries that concluded in Kathmandu on Wednesday.

A senior Nepalese official who participated in the meeting said India wasnot keen on setting up such a body at present and had called for “moreconsultations and deliberation” on the issue among Saarc members. Theofficial added the Indian side also indicated the environment was “notfavourable” for such a move.

In New Delhi, the external affairs ministry did not respond to a requestfor comment on the matter.

Nepal has been proposing the creation of such a body at the regional levelto effectively deal with trans-national criminal activities, includingnarcotics trafficking and terrorism. The Indian side, according to Nepaleseofficials, proposed a phased approach for such a regional body.

With the situation currently not favourable for holding the stalled 19thSaarc Summit, some observers believe the proposal was also affected by therivalry between India and Pakistan. Among other proposals at the meetingwas the setting up of a regional secure database on criminal activities.

Nepal had proposed the merging of two Saarc desks focused on narcotics andterrorism stationed in Sri Lanka, and upgrading them to create the “SaarcPolice”. This, officials said, would involve giving the body more teeth andgiving an expanded mandate to the proposed force.