NEW DELHI, Sept 9:
The Director General-level talks between border security forces of India and Pakistan kicks off tomorrow days after parleys between their NSAs were cancelled with the host nation set to flag the “most important” issue of ceasefire violations and cross-border infiltration.
Amid escalating tensions with two fresh ceasefire violations occurring along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir today, a 16-member Pakistani delegation arrived in Delhi this evening via Amritsar for the three-day talks between the chiefs of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers that is being held after a gap of over one-and-a-half years.
The Pakistani side is led by Rangers Director General (Punjab) Maj Gen Umar Farooq Burki and was received by BSF DG D K Pathak at the airport here with a bouquet and a warm handshake.
Earlier, the Rangers were received at the Attari-Wagah land border near Amritsar by senior BSF commanders of the Punjab frontier at 12:35 pm after which they took a special plane to reach Delhi.
Pathak, after seeing off the delegation at a five-star hotel where they are put up, said he was “hopeful and positive” about the talks.
The Rangers DG will be accorded a guard of honour at the BSF headquarters here tomorrow morning after which the two sides will commence their discussions.
The talks between the two sides were last held in December 2013 in Lahore.
The Pak delegation includes officials of Sindh Rangers, Interior ministry, Survey of Pakistan, anti-narcotic force, immigration etc.
The 23-member Indian side would be headed by Pathak and it is expected to raise issues like ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir, including sniper attacks on BSF personnel and infiltration.
It is the first high level interaction between the two countries after their National Security Adviser (NSA)-level talks that was to be held in Delhi on August 23-24 were cancelled due to differences over the agenda.
According to Indian sources, extra stress would be on the “most important” issue of breach of ceasefire in J&K which has led to loss of lives of civilians and troops and “unprovoked” firing by the Rangers along the International Border(IB).
The issue of “no response” by the other side when BSF waves the ‘white flag’ which is used to indicate stopping of fire and meeting of on-ground commanders of the two sides will also be taken up, the sources said.
“The talks will also endeavour to focus on positive issues like different levels of communication, more simultaneous coordinated patrolling and other confidence building measures,” according to a BSF statement.
The BSF will also take up the issue of intrusion in the ‘Harami Nallah’ area of the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, smuggling of contraband from across the border and illegal movement of suspects up to the zero line area along the IB in order to facilitate illegal activities.
A spokesman of Punjab Rangers said the issue of frequent clashes along the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary will be on the top of the agenda.
Pakistan’s NSA Sartaj Aziz said yesterday that Pakistan will raise the issue of “unprovoked firing” by India forces on the LoC.
According to Pakistan High Commission sources, the issue of alleged infiltration from the Indian side in Punjab and Rajasthan will be raised during the talks.
The ties between the two sides have remained strained because of repeated ceasefire violations along the IB and the Line of Control(LoC).
The BSF will also take up the issue of intrusion in the ‘Harami Nallah’ area of the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, smuggling of contraband from across the border and illegal movement of suspects up to the zero line area along the IB in order to facilitate illegal activities.
Pakistan had last month sent confirmation and agenda for these DG-level which included issues like the alleged use of objectionable language by troops on the Indian side and air space violations by suspected unmanned aerial vehicles.
According to Pakistan High Commission sources, the issue of alleged infiltration from the Indian side in Punjab and Rajasthan will be raised during the talks.
The Pakistani delegation will also stress on the activation of the UNMOGIP (UN Military Observer Group in Indian and Pakistan), they said. However, India has always maintained that the UN group has lost its relevance and therefore, was redundant.
Meanwhile, consignments having household items of an Indian diplomat and three officials have been withheld by Pakistani authorities at the Wagah border and these have not been released despite requests by India.
The Pakistani Rangers had taken possession of the consignments nearly a month ago, sources said.
They said the consignments, belonging to the Indian diplomat and three officials of Indian Embassy in Islamabad, have not been released by the Pakistani Rangers despite requests by the Indian government.
The issue may figure during the Director General-level talks between border forces of India and Pakistan beginning tomorrow. Sources said India has written to the Pakistan Foreign Office on the issue.(PTI)
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