Top Brass Of India-Pakistan Border Security Force Start Talks In New Delhi

New Delhi, July 3, IRNA – Four-day talks between top brass of the Indian, Pakistan border security force began Monday in New Delhi, to sort out a host of border-related issues including instances of ceasefire violation along the Indo-Pak frontier. An 18-member Pakistani delegation comprising officials of the border force and the Interior Ministry, led by Pakistan Rangers Director General (Sindh) Maj Gen Rizwan Akhtar, was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour by a Indian Border Security Force (BSF) contingent at the headquarters here. Akhtar later had a meeting with BSF Director General U K Bansal after which the talks began, officials said. The Pakistani team had arrived here yesterday after entering India through the Wagah border. It includes the second Rangers DG (Punjab) Maj Gen Mian Muhammad Hilal Hussain, Additional Secretary in the Pakistan Interior Ministry Najibullah Khan and other officials. The two border guarding forces are meeting in Delhi for the first time and the talks are aimed at thrashing out a host of issues including recent incidents of firing and ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Indo-Pak border. The officials said BSF is expected to flag a number of issues to the visiting team which include unprovoked firing by Pakistan troops in Jammu and Sialkot sectors, death of two BSF personnel in the last few months because of sniper firing and a spurt in the smuggling of narcotic drugs from across the border. Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretary level talks between India and Pakistan will he held on July 4-5 in New Delhi. Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai will hold talks with his Pakistan counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani here to discuss peace and security, including CBMs, Kashmir and promotion of friendly exchanges. The Indo-Pak dialogue, which was stalled following the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008, resumed last year with both sides holding a series of meetings on the eight components under the 'Composite Dialogue' format, including terrorism, Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek and Trade./end