Top officials of India and Pakistan on Saturday discussed steps to counter trans-border crimes such as smuggling and human trafficking as well as the speedy release of prisoners.
A nine-member delegation of India's Border Security Force crossed the border at Wagah to attend a quarterly coordination meeting with the Pakistan Rangers.
The two sides discussed issues related to people who inadvertently cross the border, human trafficking, smuggling of contraband items, simultaneous coordinated patrolling along the frontier and repatriation of prisoners from jails in both countries.
The Rangers presented a list of 196 Pakistanis being held in Indian jails to the BSF delegation.
BSF DIG G S Virk, who led the Indian team, said concerns about the use of Pakistani territory for smuggling narcotics from Afghanistan were raised during the meeting. He also told reporters that a large number of Indian prisoners were languishing in Pakistani jails
"The governments of the two countries have to sit together and sort out these issues," Virk said.
Brigadier Qaiser Khan Tareen, Deputy Director General of Pakistan Rangers, who led the Pakistani delegation, said his forces had been issued shoot-at-sight orders to control smuggling.
The meeting was part of a mutually agreed programme aimed at both forces taking measures for the management of the frontier.
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