Issues such as joint patrolling, illegal border crossings, repair of pillars on the border, fencing and smuggling of narcotics were discussed during the DIG-level meeting held between the BSF authorities and the Pak Rangers here on Wednesday. This is the first such meeting since the imposition of Emergency in Pakistan. The talks, which were by and large peaceful initially, later saw the Rangers and the BSF officials trading charges of illegal construction along the International Border. The Rangers also charged India with smuggling illicit liquor and opiates acquired from Afghanistan into their boundary, which India denied.While BSF DIG G S Virk led the Indian delegation, Brig M Qaiser Khan Tareen, Deputy Director General of Pakistan Rangers (Punjab), headed the 10-member Pakistani delegation.Tareen charged India with violating the protocol of defence constructions, according to which no construction can come up within the 150-metre radius of the IB. “Both countries had agreed to these rules, but India has been violating them,” Tareen said. Virk, who was standing close by, quickly said, “Rather it’s Pakistan that is violating these norms.”Regarding smuggling of opiates, Tareen said currently Afghanistan had changed its route and was smuggling narcotics through India into Pakistan. “Recently, we gunned down three Indian smugglers, who were trying to smuggle opium into Pakistan and also recovered illicit liquor from them,” he said, adding that there was absolutely no crop of opium in Pakistan.Tareen alleged that innocent Pakistanis from villages close to the zero line often strayed across the border and there were reports that India had been withholding their repatriation. He said both the forces had committed to repatriate innocents within 72 hours.In response, Virk retorted, “We have repatriated over 40 innocent Pakistanis this year.”
