Bisheshwar Mishra / New Delhi
The three-day crucial talks between the border guarding forces of India and Pakistan which concluded today resolved to continue the effort of keeping the people living on both sides of border peaceful and tranquil.
However without mincing words the BSF officials told the visiting 19-member delegation of Pakistan Rangers headed by Major General Muhammad Saeed (Director General Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) that India faced problems of unprovoked cross-border firing, smuggling of narcotics, infiltration attempts, tunneling and defence construction activities from the other side.
The issue of inadvertent crossing over by the border population and ways to facilitate their return on both the sides was also discussed. It was agreed upon in deliberations that utmost caution and care should be exercised in dealing with the civilians.
The 23 member Indian delegation was led by Director General of BSF K K Sharma. Both the delegations also had representatives from respective home & foreign ministries along with officers from narcotics control & survey departments.
The deliberation stressed the need for timely exchange of information, at the field level with increased frequency of field commanders level meetings, simultaneous coordinated patrolling etc.
It was also mutually agreed to hold the next round of talks in Pakistan. The talks ended with both sides agreeing on constant endeavor to maintain peaceful and tranquil borders.
The current talks are a continuation of a decision arrived at between the home secretary level talks of India and Pakistan which was held at Islamabad, Pakistan in May 1989. It was then decided that officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers would hold Bi-Annual talks and review the implementation of the agreed norms of cooperation between the two Border Guarding Forces.
It was envisaged that the top leadership of both the Border Guarding Forces will meet periodically and discuss issues of relevance to both the forces. Issues requiring coordinated efforts like dealing with drug menace, smuggling, simultaneous coordinated patrolling, timely exchange of information etc were to form the core of discussions.
According to government sources the talks were held in a constructive atmosphere and the need for cooperation to maintain the sanctity of the borders was stressed upon by both sides.
.