India proposes to host BSF-Pak Rangers Meet; Pakistan yet to respond

Pakistan has not yet responded to India's proposal on hosting the biannual meeting between the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers, another example of what appears to be the neighbour unilaterally snapping functional level contacts, government sources said on Tuesday. The meeting at the level of director generals of both the border guarding forces is scheduled to be held this month.

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Pakistan Rangers yet to confirm India's proposal for biannual meeting

The biannual meeting has taken place regularly despite ups and downs in bilateral ties between the two countries in the past. "This time the Indian side has proposed to hold the meeting in October, but the Pakistan Rangers has so far not confirmed its intention to participate in the meeting," said a source. Another source said it is yet another instance of unilateral measures by Pakistan to stop functional level contacts. Pakistan has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India for its decision to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcate the state into two union territories.

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Pakistan down-graded diplomatic ties

After India's decision on August 5, Pakistan down-graded diplomatic ties with India and expelled Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria from the country. Rejecting Pakistan's reaction, India has categorically told the international community that its move on Kashmir is an internal matter. India maintains Kashmir is a bilateral issue and no third party has any role in it. In the last couple of months, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has stepped up his attack on India and has been regularly referring to India and Pakistan's status as nuclear powers. India's Border Security Force (BSF) and the Pakistan Rangers guard the international border between the two countries. The two forces have been holding meetings at the level of director generals of the two forces as well as between sector commanders to maintain peace along the frontier.

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