ISLAMABAD: India is participating in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) conference on measures to curb corruption to be held in the federal capital from Sept 25 to 27.

The conference will be organised by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in collaboration with the Saarc secretariat.

“India has confirmed participation of officials of its anti-corruption department in the conference,” NAB spokesman told Dawn on Tuesday.

Delhi’s participation in the conference will be a positive development amid rising tensions between Pakistan and India over Indian security forces’ brutalities in held Kashmir.

On the other hand, Indian media has reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the Saarc summit to be held in Pakistan in November.

Mr Modi is not likely to attend the summit due to the situation in held Kashmir where Indian security forces have killed around 100 protesters and injured hundreds others since early July to suppress a popular uprising against Indian rule in the occupied valley.

The NAB spokesman said other Saarc member countries, excepting Bangladesh, had also confirmed their participation in the conference. “We believe that Bangladesh will also confirm its participation in a day or so,” he added.

“Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India have confirmed that they will take part in the first ever Saarc conference on corruption.”

He said the conference was being organised at the NAB’s proposal that emphasised the need for establishment of a Saarc nations’ anti-corruption forum to jointly fight the menace of corruption.

“The Saarc secretariat has appreciated the NAB’s proposal and given a go-head to organise the conference in which all member countries could present their suggestions about the forum,” the spokesman added.

It would be proposed in the conference that the forum’s secretariat should be established in Islamabad, he said, adding that it was expected that the first chairman of the forum would be from Pakistan.

Meanwhile, NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, speaking at a meeting on the Saarc conference, said the event was aimed at strengthening cooperation and assistance among Saarc countries in the fight against corruption.

The conference would discuss causes of corruption in South Asia, steps taken by the Saarc countries to eradicate corruption and efforts made by them to make people aware about ill effects of corruption, he said.

The event would provide an opportunity to the Saarc countries to work together in the fight against corruption which was one of the major hurdles in the way of progress and prosperity of the region, he added.

Moreover, discussions would focus on investigation and prosecution, international cooperation, assets recovery and technical assistance, Mr Chaudhry said. Information sharing will also take place to formulate a joint strategy to fight corruption on the basis of best practices and lessons learnt.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2016