CVC to attend SAARC anti-corruption meet in Pakistan

Central Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdary will attend a meeting of anti-corruption agencies of SAARC nations in Pakistan later this month, when such a meeting is being held for the first time.

The meeting is intended to discuss cooperation and assistance in probing corruption cases among eight SAARC countries, official sources said today.

Pakistan's apex anti-corruption body -- National Accountability Bureau -- is coordinating the meeting to be held between September 25 and 27 in Islamabad.

This will be the first meeting where the authorities will discuss ways to set up 'SAARC anti-corruption forum', they said.

The Ministry of External Affairs is understood to have given its approval for India's representation in the meeting.

"The CVC will be attending the meeting on SAARC anti-corruption forum in Islamabad. The members will meet to discuss and resolve against corruption by creating public awareness and taking other matters," a source said.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a grouping of eight member countries -- India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The meeting assumes significance as there is no body for the SAARC nations to take help from any member nation in corruption matters. Usually, any request for such probes are processed via Home Ministry under Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), the sources said.

The members will try to work out ways to extend cooperation to each other in matters related to anti-corruption and black money, among others, they said.