November 17, 2006	Friday	Shawwal 24, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 16: A high-powered delegation led by a senior UN officials is arriving here on Friday to determine as to what extent Pakistan has been able to prevent the spread of terrorism in the region in compliance with a Security Council resolution.

The mission, led by Assistant Secretary-General and Chief of Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) Javier Rupérez, includes representatives from the World Bank, Interpol, the World Customs Organisation and the Vienna-based United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The mission will remain in Pakistan till Nov 24.

The mission to Pakistan follows its visits to Tanzania, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Jordan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Mali and India this year.A UN official in Islamabad explaining the nature of the visit said: “The purpose of the visit is to precisely monitor, on location and in practice, how Pakistan is implementing the obligations of Security Council resolution 1373 adopted in 2001, as well as to evaluate the nature and level of assistance that could be required by Pakistan to fulfil those obligations.”

The SC resolution 1373 calls on member states to deny all forms of support to terrorist groups and to cooperate with other governments in anti-terrorism initiatives.

The experts, during their visit, will focus on various counter-terrorism areas like anti-terrorism legislation, measures against assets used for criminal purposes, effectiveness of law-enforcement services, international cooperation and territorial control.

Most of the discussions are likely to revolve around accusations by Indian and Afghanistan governments that Pakistan is doing little to stamp out terrorism. The recent suicide attack on a military camp in Dargai and the bombing of a seminary in Bajaur will also feature in the talks.

The delegation members will compile a report based on their observations, which may also include assistance needs of the country.

Pakistan, which has so far submitted five reports to the CTED, had stated in the last report that notwithstanding the government’s resolve, technical capability of security agencies and their inaccessibility to requisite technologies continued to impede security operations in troubled areas.

Pakistan had asked the international community to provide unarmed aerial vehicles for border surveillance, GSM mobile and satellite band monitoring and jamming systems, internet protocol (IP) monitoring systems, scanning equipment for detection of weapons, explosives and narcotics fitted on mobile platform and forensic laboratories.

Emphasising on the government’s resolve to root out terrorism, the last report said: “Over 700 casualties of security officials highlight Pakistan’s resolve to eliminate terrorism from the world root and branch.”