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| India-Pakistan |
| India may pull out from Siachen |
| 2006-04-08 |
| The government of the United Progressive Alliance appears to have buckled under US pressure and the persistent demands of Pakistan to completely withdraw its 4,000 troops from Siachen, the highest battlefield in the world, Indian newspaper The Pioneer reported on Friday. The paper reported that following a secret meeting between Indian National Security Adviser MK Narayanan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Dubai in the last week of February, India has agreed in principle to the phased withdrawal of the Indian Army from its positions. Narayanan is believed to have discussed the matter with Aziz and also conveyed the seriousness of the Indian government on the issue. Government sources told the paper that the finer points of this highly contentious issue would be discussed in the next round of defence secretary level talk between the two countries scheduled for the first week of May. "If all goes well, the agreement could be inked by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he visits Pakistan in August this year," the paper reported. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 From another report- expectations of Pak perfidy Though Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Ministry of Defence are not in complete agreement as to the overall proposal, they will be forced to fall in line once the Government decides to go ahead with its demilitarisation plan. Ever since then prime minister Indira Gandhi ordered the deployment of the Indian Army in Siachen in April 1984, Pakistan has been demanding the total withdrawal of the Indian troops. It has used every trick in its trade to hammer across its argument that Indian Army should withdraw from Saltoro Hills of NJ-9842 mountain peak. The strategic importance of Saltoro Hills can be gauged from the fact that it takes only four days to enter into Indian territory from Pakistan's side despite a maze of extremely narrow routes. Indian Army had further fortified its deployment after the Kargil War much to the chagrin of Pakistan. Officers and men of the Indian Army should be complemented for having effectively checkmated any misadventures from Pakistan in this sector, the sources said. In the event of Indian troops pulling out of Saltoro Hills, Pakistan would be able to straighten the passage between Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and Aksai Chin. Pakistan had also not agreed to accept the actual ground position line (AGPL) since it had set its eye on this strategic terrain. Most importantly, Pakistan will never agree to authenticate its military-held positions in this area, as it wants to first seek the withdrawal of Indian Army and then exploit it for fulfilling its ulterior motives. Apprehensions are being expressed that if the peace process between India and Pakistan gets derailed and the Pakistan Army meanwhile occupies key positions in Siachen, India will have to really move the mountains to regain its previously-held positions. |
| Posted by: john 2006-04-08 14:15 |
| #1 Siachen thaw helps Army focus on China With the Indo-Pak diplomatic back-channels working on a solution to the Siachen issue, there are signs, a decrease in number of surveillance sorties for instance, that things are already changing on the glacier, the world’s highest battleground. That more changes are in the offing was clear from the statement of Army Chief General JJ Singh in New Delhi today. The Army will ‘‘remain positive’’ on the issue of withdrawing from the glacier, while ensuring that national interest was not affected, he said. ‘‘We are not dogmatic and we remain positive. We are sure that national interest will be kept,’’ he said when asked whether the Army would be happy to withdraw from the forward points on the glacier, if the government decides so. Army sources in Leh gave clues of the Army’s logic regarding the world’s highest battleground. Siachen and adjoining areas will be sufficiently patrolled as long as it seems necessary but with changing perceptions and a possible political thaw on the issue, chances are that resources will be directed towards the LAC with China among other areas. Air patrolling missions around the glacier had started since January. The Army’s 14 Corps that operates across Ladakh, through the 826-km line of actual control (LAC) with the vast China-controlled Aksai Chin valley, has been paying attention to this mission as the Army feels it would be far more compatible to its current and future strategic perceptions. The Army recognises a special need to ramp up on the Eastern Ladakh sector rather than feed a ‘‘dead horse’’ in Siachen. Until January this year, there was a maximum of two daily surveillance sorties to Siachen by the Army’s 666 Siachen Falcons helicopter squadron, thereby mounting 10-14 patrol missions a week. But over the last two months, this has dropped to six to eight sorties per week. The Saltoro ridge, under the Indian Army, is a wedge between Aksai Chin to the east, and Pakistan’s Baltistan province to the west. Demilitarising the ridge and the adjacent Siachen glacier would allow the Army to draw back and focus on sub-sector North and Eastern Ladakh. |
| Posted by: john 2006-04-08 14:14 |