BSF, Rangers agree on more effective dialogue for border vigil

A Border Security Force (BSF) delegation today returned here from Pakistan upon the conclusion of a five-day biannual meeting which saw the two sides agreeing to utilise existing channels of communication more effectively to check violations at the zero line.
During the meet, held in Lahore between December 24-28, the BSF Director General proposed a series of confidence- building measures like exchange programmes for schoolchildren, sector-level meeting at Amritsar and Lahore and sporting activities between the Indian border force and its Pakistani counterpart, Rangers.
The Pakistani delegation was headed by Major General Khan Tahir Javed Khan, the Rangers' Director General while the Indian team was being led by BSF DG Subhash Joshi.

A statement issued by BSF Deputy Inspector General RPS Jaswal said that the DGs of the two forces were holding face-to-face talks after a gap of one-and-a-half years.
Both sides agreed on a policy of zero tolerance against smuggling and infiltration and agreed to take strict action against such violations as per the laws in either country.
At the same time, it was agreed that those who were found to have crossed the border inadvertently would be returned immediately to their respective countries, the statement added.
The next meeting of the two Director Generals will be held in New Delhi within the first half of the coming year.

Before crossing over to India on its way back, the BSF delegation witnessed the beating the retreat ceremony at sunset for the flag lowering on the Pakistan side.