Experts in Nepal underscore greater collaboration among South Asian nations to combat terrorism

Kathmandu, Jul 9 (PTI) Experts here on Wednesday underscored the urgent need for enhanced regional cooperation among South Asian nations to curb the menace of terrorism.

They were addressing a seminar titled “Terrorism in South Asia: Challenges to Regional Peace and Security” organised by the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE).

Sunil Bahadur Thapa, former Industry and Commerce minister, warned that extremist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, based in Pakistan and posing threats to India, could exploit Nepal as a transit route.

Chanda Chaudhary, former Women, Children and Senior Citizens minister, emphasised the imperative of curbing money laundering as a key strategy to prevent cross-border militant operations.

Dinesh Bhattarai, former foreign secretary, highlighted the Pahalgam attack as the most deadliest in recent years, noting that assailants singled out victims by religion before executing them with fatal headshots.

N P Saud, former foreign affairs minister, reaffirmed Nepal’s condemnation of all terrorist acts in South Asia and urged stronger collaboration among regional governments to comabt the menace.

Purna Silwal, former Major General of the Nepal Army, cautioned against double standards in counter-terrorism measures, warning such inconsistencies could undermine efforts to eliminate terrorism.

Madhu Raman Acharya, former foreign secretary, stressed the importance of intelligence sharing and joint border patrols between India and Nepal. He reiterated that Nepal stands firmly alongside India in its fight against terror.  PTI SBP SCY SCY