Amid New Delhi's serious concerns over repeated violations of the border ceasefire, India and Pakistan on Thursday decided to refrain from such actions and preserve the sanctity of the significant four-year-old confidence-building measure.
The border guards of the two countries also agreed to complete the joint verification, repair and maintenance of
boundary pillars.
At a two-day bi-annual meeting between the Pakistan Rangers and Border Security Force on issues related to border management, the two sides agreed that peace be maintained along the Line of Control and the international border in Jammu and Kashmir.
Both sides agreed to refrain from actions amounting to violation of the ceasefire which has been in place since November 2003.
Addressing a joint press conference in Lahore, additional inspector general U K Bansal of the BSF and senior Pakistan Rangers official lieutenant general Muhammad Yaqoob Khan acknowledged that there had been ceasefire violations recently.
"Troops of both sides have been directed to refrain from such actions in future as they lead to loss of lives," Khan said reading out a joint statement.
There has been several incidents of firing from the Pakistani side in the last few months, prompting New Delhi to convey its concerns to Islamabad.
India, which has raised the issue with Pakistan at the highest level, has warned that if such incidents continue, the future of the dialogue process could be in difficulty.
The two sides also described smuggling and drug trafficking as a mutual concern and agreed to eliminate the menace by handling it firmly.
Khan
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