India on Saturday said it does not see any link in making progress with Pakistan on the demilitarisation of Siachen glacier with resolving other bilateral issues.
Indian Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma arrived in Pakistan today for crucial talks on the military standoff on the Siachen glacier against the backdrop of calls to demilitarise the world's highest battlefield following an avalanche that killed 139 people.
India and Pakistan maintain a permanent military presence at a height of over 20,000 feet, which has led to more deaths due to extreme weather conditions than to each other's military might, reports Amir Mir
The sudden visit of President Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal to India has invited ire from their political opponents in Pakistan, with cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan questioning the timing of the tour, while the country was grappling with the tragedy of 135 soldiers missing in an avalanche in Siachen glacier.
India and Pakistan have agreed to continue the dialogue in Siachen for early resolution of outstanding issues there, and have reaffirmed the resolve to make serious, sustained and result oriented efforts to seek an amicable solution, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
The death of 10 soldiers earlier this year in an avalanche in the critical Sonam post, located close to the Line of Control with Pakistan, was due to global warming.
The issue of Siachen is not complicated like the issue of Kashmir; it could be resolved overnight but needs serious consideration, says Tahir Ali.
For the first time ever, the government has announced the number of Indian soldiers who have laid down their lives in the Siachen sector, ever since the Indian army made its first headlong rush to secure that strategic area in the summer of 1984.
The Indian side has an edge over their Chinese counterparts in terms of battling the weather as a large number of them have already done duty in the Ladakh sector, including the Siachen glacier or other high altitude positions, sources said.
In an unusual remark, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Hussain Haqqani has said that one of the reasons for recent devastating floods in his country could be human activity on the heavily-militarised Siachen glacier.
Honorary Captain Bana Singh won the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest ranking gallantry award, for recapturing a Pakistani post on the Siachen Glacier. Living a retired life in a quiet village in Jammu & Kashmir, he makes you feel that his act of phenomenal courage was part of a soldier's day at work.
It was a brutal test of helicopter and pilot. As the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter shuddered towards the icy helipad on a 21,000-foot ledge overlooking the Siachen Glacier, the pilots could see wreckage from earlier helicopter crashes dotting the base of the vertical ice walls on either side.
Any nation that yearns to fulfil the aspirations of its people needs two emotional nutrients: Sense of pride and sense of shame. Wonder whether the sight of military veterans protesting governmental injustice will prick the national conscience, asks M P Anil Kumar.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday said Pakistan and India should withdraw their troops from Siachen as the military deployment on the glacier has become a burden on the national exchequers of the two countries.
Notwithstanding Pakistan's vociferous protests, India will organise a civilian mountaineering and trekking expedition to the forbidding Siachen Glacier for the fourth year in a row in October-November this year. "The Siachen trekking expedition this year is in its planning stage and is likely to take place some time in October-November," an Army officer involved in the planning of the trek said. The expedition has now become an annual affair.
Siachen 1987 reveals for the first time the Northern Army's 'intent' to use Siachen as an excuse to capture the strategic town of Skardu in PoK, notes military historian Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
"The brave solider displayed a high degree of initiative and has served 10 years in difficult and challenging areas out of 13 years of total service," a senior army officer said.
"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.
'It is flabbergasting to think that this heavenly region has, for decades, been coveted by India's aggressive neighbours,' says Claude Arpi after a recent visit to Ladakh. 'Wanting to use the newly created infrastructure to defend the borders after the clash of 2020 with China and the resulting standoffs, the home ministry is keen to boost border tourism to show that these areas are controlled by India.'
Notwithstanding Pakistan's vociferous protests, Indian Army will organise a civilian mountaineering and trekking expedition to the forbidding Siachen Glacier for the second year in a row in October-November this year. Even before the planned Siachen trekking kicks off, the Indian Army will take out its own expedition to the glacial heights of Khatling on the Indo-Tibetan border in Uttarakhand later this month.
'He will be remembered for his simplicity and for taking up the cause of the labourers with great passion.'
The Army on Monday said it has initiated administrative action against three officers and three junior commissioned officers for alleged pilferage of special rations meant for soldiers serving in Siachen Glaciers, the world's highest battle-field.
Indian and Pakistani troops have been engaged in a stand-off along the 110-km Actual Ground Position Line on Siachen since 1984 though a ceasefire came into effect in November 2003.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is hopeful that disputes related to Siachen and Sir Creek will be resolved very soon with India, creating an atmosphere for the two countries to achieve a breakthrough on the long-standing Kashmir issue."All the possible solutions on Kashmir will be discussed first in a parliamentary committee on Kashmir and then the final solution will be approved by parliament," he said.
the defence minister on China, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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.
"These are complicated negotiations," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of Defence Investiture ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Wednesday.
The other Indian in the fray, Bhawna Jat finished eighth and last with a personal best time of 47:14.13.
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.
The Nation quoted Kasuri as saying in Islamabad that Pakistan welcomed the statement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make Siachen 'a mountain of peace'.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri has said opening the Siachen glacier for tourist trekking can affect the composite dialogue process between India and Pakistan.
Pakistan on Monday protested against India's plan to throw open the Siachen glacier to tourists.
Pakistan is expected to maintain its old stand of willingness to agree for simultaneous pull back of troops to pre-1984 positions but would not authenticate the present positions held by India on Siachen on the maps as demanded by New Delhi.
India and Pakistan on Wednesday failed to reach any agreement on demilitarisation of the Siachen glacier as "differences" continued to persist on authentication of positions held by the armed forces.
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 unfolding events indicate a dangerous internal security situation in Manipur and the region. It can have external ramifications also.'
The talks were held between Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt and his Pakistani counterpart Kamran Rasool.
Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Kamran Rasool beginning in Rawalpindi tomorrow.
The chopper has been validated for high-altitude, low temperature flying, required to maintain the supply lines for the Siachen region
