NEW DELHI, July 1: Border guards of India and Pakistan will meet in New Delhi for the first time on Monday amid reports that a hotline between their bosses is being proposed to pre-empt reported breaches, including incidents of cross-border firing.

A high-level delegation of Pakistan Rangers and Interior Ministry officials arrived in the Indian capital on Sunday for the five-day talks with the Border Security Force (BSF), Press Trust of India said.

Led by Pakistan Rangers Director General (Sindh) Maj-Gen Rizwan Akhtar, the 18-member delegation was received by BSF chief U.K. Bansal as they were flown here from Amritsar after entering India through the Wagah border in the morning.

The Pakistan delegation also includes the second Rangers DG (Punjab) Maj- Gen Mian Muhammad Hilal Hussain, Additional Secretary in the Pakistan Interior Ministry Najibullah Khan and other senior officials.

The top brass of both the border guarding forces had been meeting in other cities. They 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 that Indian officials blame on Pakistan.

The news agency said BSF would flag the death of two BSF personnel in the last few months because of alleged sniper firing and a spurt in the smuggling of narcotic drugs from across the border.

The BSF delegation will also include senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, PWD officials of the Punjab government, sleuths of the Narcotics Control Bureau and officials from the Survey of India.

The Indian side would raise the issue of alleged illegal crossing of Pakistani nationals into Indian territory and an early return of inadvertent crossers. The problems of fishermen and confiscation of their fishing boats by both sides would be discussed. India alleges the construction of unauthorised defence infrastructure along the international border, reports said.

A joint record of discussions will also be signed on July 5, when the talks conclude. Delayed two-day talks between the foreign secretaries of the two countries are also expected to conclude in New Delhi the same day.