24 April 2005	Sunday	14 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

KARACHI, April 23: Border forces of Pakistan and India have made ‘significant progress’ on some ‘sensitive and delicate’ issues and agreed to complete joint verification, repair and maintenance of boundary pillars along the international border and to maintain status quo on the disputed land.

They also agreed that any attempt to spoil the peaceful environment would be immediately addressed at local commanders’ levels.

An agreement to this effect was signed here on Thursday on the conclusion of the Pakistan-India biannual meeting between the 17-member Indian Border Security Force delegation and the Pakistan Rangers, Sindh.

Director-General, Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, Maj Gen Javed Zia represented Pakistan and Sheri G. S. Gill, Inspector-General, Punjab Frontier, and leader of the Indian delegation, represented his country.

The meeting noted since the meeting in Chandigarh in last October, 585 boundary pillars had been repaired (368 by India and 217 by Pakistan) and 114 boundary pillars reconstructed, relocated or rechecked (57 each by Indian and Pakistan.)

The two delegations agreed on modalities for return of inadvertent border crossers, exchanged list of such individuals and also agreed on matters pertaining to smuggling of narcotics and boundary pillars and other issues.

Both sides described the outcome of the talks as positive and significant for maintaining peace ad tranquillity on either side of the border.

It was a regular meeting held twice a year turn by turn on each side and this time it was held on the Pakistani side with the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) as the host.

Maj Gen Zia said the continuing confidence building measures (CBMs) initiated by the Indian and Pakistani governments had not only changed the atmosphere at bilateral level but also brought normalcy at the borders. Both the border forces had been inspired by the CBMs, he added.

He said the biannual meeting was very productive because on the one hand the forum had provided an opportunity to return innocent inadvertent border crossers and, on the other, it had enhanced mutual understanding between the two border forces.

As a result, he said, the trend of levelling allegations against each other had considerably reduced and an enhanced sense of accommodation and openness was being felt.

He said there had been a sincere endeavour from both the forces to encourage the local commanders at junior level to mutually resolve minor issues at the grass root level.

Also efforts had been made, both at the local commander level and through the forum, to minimize miseries of families of those individuals who continue to remain in jails of India and Pakistan, in spite of completing the term of punishment.

Both sides agreed that on receipt of information, either side would carry out physical verification of those fishermen or inadvertent crossers by brining them at a contact point on the border. It was also agreed to immediately pass instructions to lower tiers of command in this respect.

Both sides agreed to make efforts to immediately return such individuals to avoid complicated repatriation procedure at the later stage.

It was pointed out that so far Pakistan had returned 188 and the India 852 fishermen/inadvertent crossers.

On the question of checking smuggling of narcotics, both sides expressed concern and expressed resolve to eliminate the menace and resort to strict measures in dealing with smuggling of drugs and related chemicals.

Both sides also agreed to give at least 24 hour advance information about the firing programme of small arms at the ranges located in the close vicinity of the borders to avoid any misunderstanding.

The two sides also agreed on adjustment of security lights and refining the procedure in this regard.

Both sides also agreed to maintain their stance related to border ground rules and mutually agreed norms and respect each others’ point of view.

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