Siachen Base Camp, Jammu & Kashmir: Stressing that Islamabad must validate the ground positions of Indian and Pakistani troops on the Siachen Glacier battlefield in Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said yesterday this was essential for any "forward movement" on the issue.
Siachen is one of the sticking points in the resolution to the vexed Kashmir issue that has dogged the neighbours for nearly six decades and Antony indicated there was no early solution in sight.
Speaking to reporters here on the conclusion of his first visit to Kashmir's Ladakh region after assuming office last October, Antony also ruled out any troop reductions in Kashmir, saying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was very clear that he would go by [the Indian Army's] "professional advice" on this.
On Siachen, the minister said: "From the beginning, our position has been clear - before there is any forward movement, the actual ground position line [AGPL of the two countries' troops] has to be authenticated. After that we can think about other movements.
Bitter standoff
"Both sides must agree to the AGPL on the map and on the ground," Antony asserted.
Asked if he saw an early resolution to the issue, he retorted: "I can't say that."
Indian and Pakistani troops have been locked in a bitter standoff since 1984 on the Siachen Glacier, where the heights rise to 22,000 feet and the temperatures plunge to -50°C in winter. The guns have been silent since a truce was declared in 2003.
Islamabad has all along maintained that it would authenticate the AGPL as it existed in 1984, when Indian troops moved in to foil Pakistani designs in the area. India is insisting on verifying the AGPL as it presently exists.
Pakistani officials have now been quoted as saying Islamabad would agree to verify the present troop positions only if India promised not to legally enforce the boundary.
Antony to visit Singapore next month
Defence Minister A.K. Antony is to visit Singapore on June 1-3, the first time he will be travelling abroad after assuming office seven months ago.
"During the visit, he will essentially be addressing the Shangri La dialogue," an official here said.
The sixth edition of the dialogue, organised by Singapore's International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), brings together 26 countries including Australia, Britain Canada, China, France, Germany, New Zealand, Pakistan, and the US, to discuss the defence and security diplomacy scenario in the southeast Asia region.
