NEW DELHI, Dec 13: Expressing resolve to wage war against the menace of narcotics and psychedelic substances, Pakistan and India on Monday decided to explore avenues to control the scourge.

"We have to fight the war against narcotic drugs together. It is a common cause, has no borders and has no political considerations," Director-General, Anti-Narcotics Force and leader of Pakistani delegation Maj-Gen Nadeem Ahmed told newsmen after meeting with Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil here.

He is leading a five-member Pakistani delegation, earlier held parleys with his Indian counterpart and his Indian counter-part Swaraj Puri on ways and means to check the spread of narcotic drugs like heroin and other psychedelic substances.

The sentiments and views of Pakistan delegation to combat drug smuggling were endorsed by senior officials of the Indian side. The agenda for the two-day parleys, being held as part of the ongoing composite dialogue process between the two countries, includes exchange of drafts of between the two nations is to work out ways to combat the menace of heroin and other narcotic drugs.

Terming his meeting with Mr Patil as excellent, Maj-Gen Nadeem Ahmed, said Islamabad and New Delhi needed to work on avenues like information and intelligence sharing, sting operations and mutual legal assistance to catch people involved in drug trafficking.

"We have to see what the laws of each country allow. The effort is part of the international exercise to prevent drug smuggling," the Pakistan ANF chief said. "Pakistan and India have to develop confidence as we move ahead, we have to share our best practices in preventing drug smuggling especially that involving heroin," Mr Ahmed said.

He said some of the narcotics find their way into Pakistan and India before being smuggled to other nations. Maintaining that production of opium in the 'Golden Triangle' area of South East Asia had gone down, he said one positive aspect in the war against drugs was that there had been a significant decline in smuggling of acetic anhydride, a chemical required for converting opium into heroin. -Agencies