The long-awaited third Interior Ministers Conference of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) started on Wednesday in Islamabad under tightened security. The ministers will discuss issues of narcotics and counter terrorism while India and Pakistan are expected to swab friction on certain nagging issues between the two neighbors. "It is very important that Indian Home Minister is attending the conference," former Pakistani Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz commented in the backdrop of several postponements of the three- day conference (June 23-25) that started in 2006 having the issues of terrorism, narcotics and organized crimes on the agenda. Since its second session in 2007, the annual regional conference had been postponed for three times due to elusive disputes among the eight members of the SAARC forum comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Analysts believe that besides discussing terrorism related issues and intelligence sharing, the conference would ponder on breaking stalemate between archrival India and Pakistan, particularly over the November 2008 Mumbai carnage that had left at least 173 people dead and over 300 wounded in the Indian port city. Both countries have leveled counter allegations holding non- state actors in each others countries responsible for it. "I think even if an understanding is reached for a joint investigation of terrorist incidents, it would be beneficial," Defense and Security Analyst General Jamshed Ayaz told media. The continuing interior ministers' conference would serve as a stepping stone to initiate discussion for the resolution of more issues, which will be preceded by SAARC Foreign Secretaries Meeting and the subsequent Foreign Ministers Conference on July 15. "They can't leave with empty hands," the former Pakistani military General and Defense Ministry official Jamshed Ayaz said. "They have to show some progress," the former Pakistani military General and Defense Ministry official said, adding " because they have been talking a lot about mutual security and terrorism issues over the years." Local analysts believe that despite all friction and unresolved issues among the SAARC nations, they have agreed on holding the conference due to pressure from the United States, which desires a peaceful region to pursue its higher objectives in South Asia. The leaders of SAARC forum have condemned terrorist violence in all its forms and manifestations and agreed that terrorism was a challenge to all countries and a threat to humanity which could not be justified on any grounds. Subsequently, the first interior ministers conference was held in Dhaka in May 2006 while the next session was organized in New Delhi in October 2007.(Xinhua)