DGs of BSF and Pakistan Rangers held Bi-annual talks in New Delhi

Director-Generals (DGs) of Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers held the Bi-annual talks in New Delhi from 9 September – 12 September 2015. At the end of the meeting both the parties released the Joint Statement.

The 23-member Indian delegation was led by DG of BSF DK Pathak (IPS) and the 16-member Pakistani delegation was led by DG of Pakistan Rangers Major General Umar Farooq Burki.

Issues Discussed

• Need for cooperation to maintain the sanctity of the borders
• Incidents of firing at the borders, smuggling of narcotics, infiltration attempts and defence construction activities
• Inadvertent crossing over by border population and on how to facilitate their return on both the sides
• Security of the border population
• Need for confidence building measures including timely exchange of information, at the field level and mobile communication, simultaneous coordinated patrolling, and sporting events etc.

Joint Record of Discussion

Charting a future route map of cooperation between the two Border Guarding Forces, a Joint Record of Discussion was signed on 12 September 2015. It was mutually agreed to hold the next talks in the first half of 2016 in Pakistan. Both sides also agreed on constant endeavor to maintain peaceful and tranquil borders.

Background

The seed of Bi-annual talks between the officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers was sown during the Home Secretary Level Talks held at Islamabad, Pakistan in May 1989.

The mechanism was established to review the implementation of the agreed norms of cooperation between the two Border Guarding Forces 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.

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