India and Pakistan have agreed on identification of their troops' positions on Siachen glacier via satellite survey, raising hopes for the lasting settlement of a contentious issue, diplomatic sources said.
His Indian counterpart Shekkhar Dutt soon followed him and had a 40-minute meeting over there. Despite this, results of the meeting remained 'inconclusive,' the daily said.
Trekkers can now go up the icy heights of the second largest glacier in the mighty Karakoram range in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, a dreaded place till four years ago because of continuous shelling from Pakistan.
The predictions are that Siachen and Sir Creek issues would be settled and some tangible progress on the issue of Kashmir is likely during Singh's trip.
Facing high-speed blizzards and other threats from mother nature, soldiers posted for tenures of 90 days are totally cut off from their families and the rest of the world.
The army has finally agreed to cooperate with Jammu and Kashmir Police after its attempts to thwart the probe into the matter were countered by the state administration.
Lack of progress on these issues can cast a shadow on the ongoing dialogue process," he said.
The 13-member delegation is hopeful of a outcome.
Pakistan may want to undertake a 'false flag' operation in J&K to divert attention from the situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but infiltrating one SSG battalion into J&K and having two SSG battalions waiting to follow suit means war, which Pakistan cannot afford in its current economic crisis, notes Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
The Siachen issue between India and Pakistan is to be primarily resolved through dialogue, but the United States is willing to help the two neighbors in whatever way it could, a State Department official said on Monday.
Major Surinder Singh gave a letter to the presiding officer of the court alleging that Brig Kumar, in the presence of four other senior officers, asked him to finish the cross-examination of witnesses quickly or face the consequences
India and Pakistan on Tuesday failed to agree on the modalities for demilitarisation of Siachen but decided to continue talks to arrive at a solution to one of the major vexed issue.
Disengagement from the LAC will remain a chimera because China has given enough indications that the PLA will not move back any more. China has even deployed drones to monitor and deny any patrolling by Indian troops even in the buffer zones which are all in Indian Territory, explains Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
Pakistan has taken serious notice of reports that the US Army chief Gen W Casey is scheduled to visit the Siachen glacier in Jammu and Kashmir during his ongoing three-day visit to India.
'With continued focus on votes, upcoming by-polls and purchasing politicians, the political hierarchy has little time for national defence.' 'They would do well to heed a veteran scholar, who says, "There will be war with China in the next few years. The next full scale war will have the involvement of Pakistan and terror elements, insurgents and intelligence assets operating inside India",' warns Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
The defence ministry received the bags from a French firm at a cost of 11.86 million Francs, a parliamentary panel said.
As the military standoff between India and China drags on along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the talks between the two sides are going on well and indicated hope for a resolution of the lingering row.
Observing that only trade ties have seen tangible progress in the resumed talks with India, Pakistan on Friday said all issues, including Siachen and Kashmir, must also "move in tandem" to sustain the peace process.
Chunni Lal, was killed on Sunday even as he shot down five intruding terrorists near the Line of Control in North Kashmir.
'It is in the interest of China and Pakistan to give a bad name to the Indian Army and remove AFSPA 'completely' from the north east.' 'Hopefully, better sense will prevail and the ground realities of the army countering insurgency in the north east acknowledged,' asserts Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
"The withdrawal of Pakistani troops is possible provided India also agrees. It will not be a unilateral decision," he said while addressing a convention of workers of his Pakistan People's Party in Okara district, 100 km from Lahore, on Friday.
The end for the doughty soldier came a little before noon, three days after he was miraculously pulled out alive from under 30 feet of ice-and-snow debris where he lay buried for six days on the unforgiving Siachen glacier.
Over 30 snow mobiles were inducted into the Kargil-Siachen sector soon after the Kargil war, to give better mobility to the troops patrolling the Indo-Pak border, the sources said. Now, these snow mobiles have almost completed their effective utility period, they said, adding that was the reason why snow scooters were required.
"It was a miraculous rescue. All efforts are being made to evacuate Lance Naik Hanaman Thappa to the hospital in the morning," Lt Gen D S Hooda, northern army commander, said.
While the neighbours held several rounds of talks on the Siachen issue at the defence secretary-level, the matter has never been taken up at the DGMO-level, the officials said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid a surprise visit to Siachen to celebrate Diwali with soldiers posted at the world's highest battlefield and hailed the role of the armed forces in securing the country.
"Army has submitted its views to the government on the issue. I am sure the government will keep them in mind," Army Chief General J J Singh told reporters in New Delhi when asked whether it was ready for demilitarisation of the glacier.
Angira wraps a shoot... Aahana salutes the jawans... Sonal takes a walk in Texas...
India also went on an overdrive in expanding its military engagement with like-minded countries in its neighbourhood and beyond in the face of China's relentless attempts to become a regional hegemon and establish its primacy in South Asia.
The Army chief is likely to visit Jammu and discuss the recent and ongoing counter-terrorist operations and the casualties that have been suffered in the recent terror attacks there, defence sources said.
A retired Indian colonel working with the United Nations was killed in Gaza when the vehicle he was travelling in came under attack in strife-torn Rafah, the 'first international' casualty for the world body since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri said during the January visit of External Affairs Minister Pranab Muherjee that the Pakistan proposals meet the concerns of both the countries.
Twenty-two British and French trekkers, stranded in high altitude Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir following heavy downpour, have been rescued by Indian Air Force personnel in the past two days.
