NEW DELHI: The four day bi-annual talks between India’s Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers began today to discuss modalities of bringing peace at the International border, which has been witnessing a spat of ceasefire violations from across the divide with a matching response from the Indian side.
Major General Umar Farooq Burki, Director General, Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) led a 16-member Pakistani delegation to India.
The 23-member Indian delegation was led by D K Pathak, IPS, DG BSF. Both the delegations also had representatives from respective home and foreign ministries along with officers from narcotics control and survey department. “The talks were being held in a most congenial and positive environment,” a statement issued by the BSF said.
Both sides are back at the table after a gap of 21 months. More than 200 incidents of ceasefire violation have been recorded since then, the latest being yesterday, when sniper fire from across the border in North Kashmir area injured two BSF jawans.
The resumption of the talks, which will conclude on Saturday with the signing of “Joint Record of Discussions” between the DG BSF and DG Pakistan Rangers, is the result of an understanding reached between the Prime Ministers of the two countries, Mr Narendra Modi and Mr Nawaz Sharif at Ufa, Russia during the G-summit in July this year.
“During the conference, discussions will be held on important issues like cross border firing, infiltration and smuggling etc. The talks will also endeavor to focus on positive issues like different levels of communication, more simultaneous coordinated patrolling and other confidence building measures,” the BSF statement said. (AGENCIES)
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