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Indo-Pak meet to discuss border firing

Before proceeding to Pakistan, Avtar Singh Aullakh, who is heading the delegation, told reporters that the unprovoked firing incidents in Jammu sector by Pakistanis would be a major issue at the meeting with their counterparts of Lahore, beside other issues regarding maintenance of border pillars and repatriation of innocent persons who crossed over to Pakistan by mistake while working in fields.

''We are more concerned about firing incidents that create fear in the minds of farmers, as a few Indians were injured some months ago during such unprovoked firing from the other side of the border,'' he said, adding that during the last meeting the Pakistani Rangers had promised to look into such incidents, when the BSF had protested at the last bi-annual meeting at Jalandhar.

On the mishap of an Indian helicopter allegedly hit by a missile fired by Pakistani boats in Kutch , Gujarat, he said such issues would be taken up at the diplomatic level.

The delegation will return on November 23.

Aullakh said the main motive of these bi-annual meetings was to solve minor border problems by holding flag meetings. The issue related to repatriation of convicted persons was decided at a diplomatic level, he said, adding that in general when any person who crossed over by mistake and was caught on either side of the international border was handed over to the respective country after investigation.

He said such meetings were basically a source of co-operation between both forces. Regarding the repair of border pillars, he said all even number pillars were managed by India and odd number pillars by Pakistan.

Aullakh said the meeting of officials of the Survey of India and their counterparts in Pakistan will locate the missing and damaged pillars and it was the duty of the PWD to maintain it according to directions by survey teams.

The Indian delegation was received by Brigadier Mohammad Ashan of the Rangers along with his team of senior officers.

Aullakh will have a long discussion with the Pakistani delegation headed by Director General of Rangers Abdul Quradir and Zarrar Azim. An officer of the Narcotics Bureau is accompanying the delegation to discuss smuggling of heroin from Pakistan to India.

UNI

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