Chandigarh: Border security guards of India and Pakistan today (Oct 12, 2004) agreed to promptly inform each other about inadvertent crossing of borders by civilians to facilitate their return as they discussed issues of smuggling and cross-border infiltration at their bi-annual meet in Chandigarh.

Effective management of borders and mutual sorting out of difficulties in checking cross-border crimes were also being discussed at the four-day meeting of Pakistani Rangers and the BSF, which began yesterday (Oct 11, 2004).

Sources said both sides agreed that inadvertent border crossing by civilians should be informed promptly to facilitate their return.

The contentious issue of cross-border terrorism was however, kept away, they said.

Both sides also agreed to make such meetings friendlier, sources said.

The bi-annual meetings, suspended since the attack on Parliament in 2001, resumed this year with the Indian delegation travelling to Lahore in April.

The 15-member Pakistani delegation at the talks is led by Major General Javed Zia, Director General, Pakistani Rangers (Sindh) while the Indian side is headed by Additional Director General (West), BSF, A K Mitra.

The Pakistani delegation would fly to Agra tomorrow (Oct 13, 2004) to see the Taj Mahal and the talks would resume a day after.

A joint statement would be issued at the end of the talks on October 14, the sources said.