All set for BSF-Rangers DG meet on Wednesday

Amidst a strained atmosphere - especially with the Pakistan army chief warning India of 'unbearable damage in war' and Delhi strongly hitting back at Islamabad - a delegation led by director general of Pakistan Rangers Umar Farooq Burki will be accorded a formal welcome when it arrives at Attari on Wednesday.

Amidst a strained atmosphere - especially with the Pakistan army chief warning India of 'unbearable damage in war' and Delhi strongly hitting back at Islamabad - a delegation led by director general of Pakistan Rangers Umar Farooq Burki will be accorded a formal welcome when it arrives at Attari on Wednesday.

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According to sources, Burki and his team will be welcomed by top BSF officials of Punjab Frontier, including inspector general Anil Palliwal, at Attari. "A formal welcome will be given to the Pakistani delegation before they leave for Delhi to interact with the BSF DG DK Pathak," said a BSF official.

The Pakistan Rangers' DG will take the guard of honour and then the guests, who will be accompanied by their families, will be taken to the BSF headquarters at Khasa. The BSF will host a lunch for the visitors, who will then be taken to the Amritsar international airport from where they will board a New Delhi-bound flight around 3 pm.

Truce violations, infiltration top on agenda

The four-day meeting beginning Wednesday between the two sides is crucial in the wake of tense atmosphere along the border. All important agendas, including ceasefire violation along the border, will be on the table during the DG-level talks, said an official. The BSF has given an 11-point agenda to its counterparts for the meeting.

Apart from ceasefire violations, the BSF will be taking up infiltration and constructions along the border with their Pakistani counterparts. Also, smuggling of narcotics and other issues pertaining to the border management will come up during the meeting.

The last meeting between the two DGs was held in 2013. The current meeting gains significance in the light of the recent NSA-level talks between the two sides getting cancelled.

* Repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the border

*Rise in infiltration bids

*Smuggling of narcotics

*Constructions near the border area by Pakistan