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Rangers, BSF commanders to meet in New Delhi from September 9

Islamabad: Top commanders of Pakistan Rangers and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) are scheduled to meet in New Delhi from September 9 to 13, Pakistan’s paramilitary force spokesman told the media on Tuesday.

“As per border ground rules 1961, a routine, biannual meeting of Insp. Gen. BSF and Dir. Gen. Pakistan Rangers is scheduled to take place in New Delhi starting September 9, 2015,” Dawn News quoted a spokesman for Pakistan Rangers as saying.

Pakistan would take up the matter of “unprovoked” Indian firing along the Line of Control (Loc) and Working Boundary, and the killing of its civilians, the spokesman added.

He said that matters related to smuggling and other border issues are also likely to be discussed at the meeting.

A meeting was earlier held between representatives of Rangers and BSF at Wagah border to coordinate modalities of the September meeting and to finalise the meeting’s agenda, the Rangers spokesman said.

The meeting will follow days of bickering between India and Pakistan, as the Pakistani government on Saturday decided to cancel the planned meeting of its national security adviser with his Indian counterpart, citing New Delhi’s refusal to allow an expanded agenda and a meeting with Kashmiri leaders.

The Indian external affairs ministry immediately termed the decision “unfortunate” and tried to wash its hands off the controversy that led to the cancellation of the meeting by saying that it “did not set any preconditions”.

Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz was to have travelled to the Indian capital on Sunday for the Aug 24 meeting with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.

India-Pakistan relations are at their lowest point in over a decade, with the two sides regularly trading fire over the Line of Control in Kashmir in recent months.