People on both sides of the porous Indo-Nepal border might soon be issued identification cards to prevent Pakistan from using the Himalayan republic to foment trouble in India.

The issue was discussed at a recent two-day meeting between officials from the two countries in Kathmandu.

Kumaon Commissioner S. Raju, who was part of the Indian delegation led by Home Secretary G. K. Pillai, said both sides agreed to issue I-cards to the people living along the border so that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) could be prevented from exporting terror into India. The move will also thwart Pakistan’s attempts to destabilise India’s economy by smuggling in fake currency.

Raju said the matter regarding the survey of the no-man’s-land between India and Nepal was also discussed.

The survey of no-man’s land is being carried out on the 1,800- km border stretch right from Uttarakhand up to Bengal.

The exercise, according to him, would help in identifying the positions of the international border pillars, most of which have either been dislocated or wiped out owing to various reasons.