news details |
|
|
| Pak accuses Delhi of adopting rigid posture | | India won't withdraw troops from Siachen | |
B L KAK
NEW DELHI, JUNE 20: A disturbing report has poured in from across the border, divulging some unusual activity by Pakistani troops at two places across Nubra valley in Ladakh. These places form part of the Siachen glacier--the bone of contention between India and Pakistan. With the ceasefire continuing to be in force along the Jammu and Kashmir frontier with Pakistan, Siachen, the world's highest batleground, is quiet.
However, in view of the unusual Pakistani military activity in recent days at at least two places in the vicinity of Siachen glacier, the government of India--the Ministry of Defence, to be precise--was left with no option but to instruct troops to be vigilant. And it is official: New Delhi has no plans, at present, to order withdrawal of Indian troops from the strategic Siachen glacier in Ladakh in eastern Kashmir.
Even as India has re-emphasized the objective of achieving cooperative and friendly relations with Pakistan, New Delhi's decision is against effecting any change in the present size and structure of the troops deployed on the 18,000-foot-high Siachen glacier area. The move seems to have also been necessitated by two developments, one in India and the other in Pakistan.
The development in India was the product of the animated discussions on the question: Will New Delhi allow reduction or withdrawal of troops deployed to defend the Siachen glacier against Pakistan's unabated attempts to grab it? And the development in Pakistan was the outcome of the 'inspired' reports in a section of the media in that country talking about the use of "secret diplomatic channels" by New Delhi and Islamabad to reach an accord on troops withdrawal from the Siachen glacier.
New Delhi has left none in doubt about India's standpoint on the presence of Indian troops in the Siachen glacier. The Defence Minister, AK Antony, has reportedly let it be known that there is "no move to withdraw troops from the Siachen glacier".
Within the composite dialogue process, India and Pakistan have had talks on the future of Siachen glacier in recent times. And during the talks at the level of Defence Secretaries of the two countries, modalities for disengagement and re-deployhment of troops were discused. The two sides agreed to continue discussions. Will India's security interests get affected by any withdrawal of troops from the Siachen glacier? That New Delhi continued to be determined to defend the country's territorial integrity has been borne out by the Defence Minister's pronouncement: No compromise will be made on security-related matters and plans are in place to cater for all possible operational contingencies.
No wonder, Islamabad has lately accused New Delhi of continuing to have a rigid posture. On the reported "secret" understanding between New Delhi and Islamabad on the future of troops of the two countries, the government of India's stand is: "No agreement has been reached so far betwen Indian and Pakistani authorities for reducing the Army in Siachen".
India wants Pakistan to accept the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL). And New Delhi cannot be faulted if it insists on a guarante that Pakistan will not re-occupy the area vacated. This kind of guarantee is required, as the Kargil experience will not be easily ignored by the average official of the Indian Armed Forces. And if the Kargil experience were allowed to be the subject for discussion, it would be hard for New Delhi to accept any guarantee from Pakistan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
