JOIN USIndia-Pak military meet hangs in balance
After the NSA-level talks were called off, speculation is rife over the fate of BSF-Pakistan Rangers talks in September first week even as Pakistan National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz said the proposed meeting will go ahead as scheduled.
Aziz had said that the BSF and Pakistan Rangers would hold talks as scheduled on September 6 though both New Delhi and Islamabad were at loggerheads on the NSA-level talks leading to it being called off.
However, fresh clouds of uncertainty have risen with Pakistani troops violating ceasefire on Monday, after a lull of few days.
There were no firing at all in the past couple of days but it is to be seen whether the resurfacing of ceasefire violations would have a bearing on the BSF-Rangers talk as well as that on the DGMO-level talks.
There were around 90 ceasefire violations reported along the International Border and Line of Control after the two sides agreed to the NSA-level talks at a meeting of prime ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif at Ufa on July 10.
Officials said there should not be any reason for calling off the talks as these are more for dealing with operational circumstances. The agenda is basically on handling infiltration and ceasefire violations.
“Rangers and the BSF are going ahead. DGMOs will also talk, but it requires mechanism, which goes beyond, and suggestions have been made to make sure that some reduction in tension takes place. I think Pakistan Rangers-BSF (meeting) is confirmed for 6th (September). Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) can meet anywhere, they can agree among themselves, whenever they want to meet,” Aziz told a TV channel.
In Ufa, India and Pakistan had agreed that heads of border guards — BSF and Pakistan Rangers — would meet soon to discuss how to bring peace on the border.