M A I N   N E W S

BSF, Pakistan Rangers plan cross-border sporting events
Shaurya Karanbir Gurung
Tribune News Service

CBMs proposed at Lahore meeting The CBMs were discussed at the biannual director general-level meeting between the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers at Lahore in December last year BSF DG Subhash Joshi said: “We have given the list of the CBMs to the Ministry of Home Affairs for their approval. It is up to the two governments to take a decision on it.” The BSF also raised the issue of sniper firing from across the border. “The Pakistani side said it will conduct investigations and share details with us,” said Joshi

New Delhi, January 4
The Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers have planned a series of confidence-building measures (CBMs) along the border for better communication and understanding between the two forces.

The measures include visits of school students across the border, conducting sporting events between the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers, setting up telephonic communication between sector commanders and holding fixed meetings between local commanders.

The CBMs were discussed at the biannual director general-level meeting between the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers at Lahore in December last year. “We have given the list of the CBMs to the Ministry of Home Affairs for their approval. It is up to the two governments to take a decision on it,” said BSF DG, Subhash Joshi.

The BSF also raised the issue of sniper firing from across the border. “The Pakistani side said it will investigate and give us the details of the action taken,” said Joshi.

On December 19, last year, a BSF officer was injured in a sniper fire from across the border in the Hiranagar area of Jammu and Kashmir. There have been 254 ceasefire violations along the Indo-Pak border, including 54 along the IB and the rest at the Line of Control. There have been at least 267 infiltration attempts from across the border.

Under the CBMs, the two forces have agreed on regular telephonic communication between the sector commanders of Jammu and Sialkot. “The communication will ensure that there is no misunderstanding and relations between the two sides improve,” he said.

Officials also pressed for regular interactions between the local commanders of the two forces. “One of the CBMs is to have meetings between the Commandant, Deputy Inspector General and Inspector General-level officers. These meetings will be similar to what we conduct along the India-Bangladesh border,” said the DG.

A Commandant-level meeting between the BSF and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) takes place every month. The DIGs meet once in three months and the IGs meet once in six months. “Local issues and problems with fixed agendas are solved at these meetings. If there is an issue which can’t be resolved, then it is raised at the DG-level meet which happens after every six months,” said a BSF officer.

At the Lahore meeting, there was a proposal to conduct sporting activities between the BSF and Rangers. The BSF and BGB have been regularly organising basketball and volleyball matches. The two forces have also agreed on removing the thick foliage near the fence along the IB.

“In January, we will chalk out a plan to remove the sarkanda (tall grass) along the fence,” said Joshi. The fence was installed by India to prevent infiltration attempts.