NEW DELHI India may offer to withdraw its forces from the Siachen glacier, known as the world's highest battlefront, in a prelude to proposed talks with archrival Pakistan, a daily said Tuesday (25th February).
The Asian Age quoted unidentified officials as saying that New Delhi would demilitarise the glacier in the disputed state of Kashmir if Islamabad also agreed to pull back troops.
"We also want assurances that Pakistan will not indulge in any kind of military activity in the area after the Indian withdrawal," an official said.
Nawaz Sharif, the newly elected Pakistani prime minister, has offered to resume talks with India over a range of contested issues including Kashmir, parts of which are held by both countries.
The official, however, said India would not allow a third nation to become involved in Kashmir talks, a reference to US ambassador Frank Wisner's recent statement that it was time to resolve the problem.
The 20,000foot (6,066metre) glacier was a noman's land until a cease-fire line was drawn by the United Nations in 1949 after the first war between India and Pakistan in 1949. It was readjusted after a second war in 1965.
Troops at Siachen risk avalanches, blizzards, snow blindness and frostbite and have to rely on oxygen cylinders.
Pakistan says India has 4,000 troops in the forward area and some 25,000 men in reserve.
P. S. Suryanarayana wrote for The Hindu (2nd March): "Pakistan today (1st. March) said its leaders 'are always willing to discuss the question of withdrawal of troops from Siachen' on the basis of "agreements" already reached in 1989 and in the light of agreed principles.
"Briefing reporters on various aspects of the latest expectations of the Pakistan-India diplomatic front, the foreign office spokesman, Mr. Khalid Salim, said, "if there is a (renewed) proposal for a demilitarisation of Siachen (glacier), and if it is received by us (the Pakistani authorities) formally, we will certainly give it our utmost and very serious consideration.
"Recalling that India and Pakistan had "agreed in 1989 to withdraw their forces (in the Siachen sector) to the 1972 positions, in line with the Simla Accord,' the spokesman claimed that India later decided that this agreement could not be implemented, for reasons that we (the Pakistanis) are not aware of."
A Pakistan foreign office spokesman said the issue of demilitarisation of Siachen glacier was not directly linked to the Kashmir problem. Asked whether the Indian prime minister's letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif suggesting resumption of bilateral talks also includes the Kashmir dispute among the issues for discussion, the spokesman indicated that Prime Minster Deve Gowda had stated: 'We are ready and willing to hold wide-ranging and comprehensive talks on all issues of mutual concern,' to which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif responded by emphasising 'I hope you will agree that without some progress on the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir, it will be difficult to initiate meaningful cooperation' in economic and cultural fields," wrote The Dawn, 2nd March 1997.