Pakistan has formally proposed Siachen pullback - India

[Ignited Mind]

What Kayani calls a clap, I, many Indians, and the Indian Army believe to be one hand slapping the other.

 

[saiyan0321]

I have never really understood Pakistan's position on negotiations. Their idea of flexibility is that India should give up some of what we have & they will in return, give up something that they don't have & have no hope of having. That sums up Pakistani attitudes on the Siachen issue as well as on the larger Kashmir issue.

who said india has to just give up huh? the proposal is we both retreat from siachin leaving it to post 1984 position where noone occupied it. i have already said it was a failure since the one thing that makes a deal is lacking and thats called trust. and if these first steps are not taken then any hope for solving kashmir issue is out of the window. bcz if we cant even compromise on a glacier that is occupied by both parties in such a way that it annuls the advantage to both sides then how can we reach an agreement on a 220000 land area. and this is how it is every one of you can boast over here how tough it is but the fact is that place is a killer and the solution should be reached soon but in the end it wont and this dispute will go on forever.

 

[Storm Force]

India occupies saichen SO its in a POSITION OF STRENGTH from their eyes.

They will not budge NOW

 

[Ignited Mind]

I have never really understood Pakistan's position on negotiations. Their idea of flexibility is that India should give up some of what we have & they will in return, give up something that they don't have & have no hope of having. That sums up Pakistani attitudes on the Siachen issue as well as on the larger Kashmir issue.

Couldn't have said it better.

 

[Subramanian]

who said india has to just give up huh? the proposal is we both retreat from siachin leaving it to post 1984 position where noone occupied it. i have already said it was a failure since the one thing that makes a deal is lacking and thats called trust. and if these first steps are not taken then any hope for solving kashmir issue is out of the window. bcz if we cant even compromise on a glacier that is occupied by both parties in such a way that it annuls the advantage to both sides then how can we reach an agreement on a 220000 land area. and this is how it is every one of you can boast over here how tough it is but the fact is that place is a killer and the solution should be reached soon but in the end it wont and this dispute will go on forever.

what if you guys occupy the peaks again as we have descended off?

what is the guarantee?

 

[sudhir007]

Broadsword: Pak formally proposed Siachen pullback, says Antony

Pakistani president, Asif Zardari, had formally appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a mutual withdrawal of troops from the Siachen Glacier sector. Defence Minister, AK Antony says the request was made on April 8 in New Delhi, a day after an avalanche buried 129 Pakistani soldiers and 11 civilians at Gyari, the headquarters of a Pakistani battalion near Skardu in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (***).

While several Pakistani decision-makers, including the army chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) chief, Nawaz Sharif, have issued media calls for a mutual withdrawal, only now has it emerged that Pakistan officially broached this proposal with New Delhi.

On Monday, Antony told the Lok Sabha, “In view of the recent avalanche resulting in heavy casualties at Siachen, Pakistan has requested India for withdrawal of their respective troops from the region.”

In his written reply to a parliamentary question, Antony further stated “The President of Pakistan, during his meeting with Prime Minister on April 8, 2012, pointed out the need for all issues in the bilateral relationship including Sir Creek, Siachen, and Jammu & Kashmir to be addressed. Both leaders felt need to move forward step by step and find pragmatic and mutually acceptable solutions to all those issues.”

A range of Pakistani leaders have supported General Kayani and Nawaz Sharif in calling for a mutual withdrawal from “the Siachen Glacier.” For the Pakistan Army --- say Indian experts like Lt Gen PC Katoch, former commander of the Siachen Brigade --- an early withdrawal would mask the stinging defeat they suffered here after the Indian Army established itself atop the towering Saltoro Ridge that gives India complete domination over the Siachen Glacier.

“The Pakistan Army has been badly beaten on the Siachen Glacier, but they hide that from their public. Kayani, like his predecessors, wants to demilitarise the glacier and end the dispute quickly so that the Pakistani people never get to know,” says Katoch.

Meanwhile the Siachen dialogue makes little headway. Through 12 rounds of talks, the most recent last May, New Delhi has insisted that it will pull back troops only after joint “authentication” of the frontline along the 109-kilometre Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL), as the de facto border is called. The AGPL has never been marked on the ground or on any document accepted by both sides. If Pakistan violated a demilitarisation treaty, says the Indian Army, it would enjoy easier geographical access to Siachen, leaving India at a serious disadvantage.

Pakistan resists “authentication” as a pre-requisite to demilitarisation, ostensibly because that would legitimise the AGPL, and India’s alleged “violation of the Simla Agreement” which restrains both sides from altering the status quo on the border. Pakistan wants demilitarisation, withdrawal and authentication to proceed simultaneously. Last month, after General Kayani’s call for a mutual withdrawal, Islamabad announced that it would stick to its traditional position.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, however, has earlier been willing to accommodate Pakistan in a Siachen settlement. In 2005, during a visit to Siachen, he stated that he would like to convert Siachen into “a mountain of peace.”

The Siachen became a military flashpoint in April 1984, when the Indian Army occupied Bilafond La, a pass above Siachen, narrowly beating a planned Pakistani occupation of the same pass. Although there has been a ceasefire in place since 2003, most casualties in the 16,000-21,000 foot battleground take place due to weather.

 

[angeldemon_007]

I am not sure about Siachen....its a tough call....considering the living situation over there is a mess, demilitarization of Siachen will benefit an infantry soldier. On the other hand from strategic point of view its important too...Not to mention, Pakistan will definitely attempt a Kargil after demilitarization and the recapturing this time might get alot more expensive to us than the last time.

I have to say whatever decision congress takes it might back-fire.....

 

[King Solomon]

Well, it will be a strategic blunder for pakistan to pull back unilaterally. If done so, India would have the opportunity to capture strategic road links to China with ease. of course that will be a blunder for pakistan.

 

[The_magnificent]

Pakistan already facing huge insurgencies problems and they badly humiliated by US/NATO raids and drones attacks. Now Pakistan want to end up above things and regain its respect best way is waging war with arch rival India. Pak hoping that war will unite its own people in a single course, proposing demilitarization in Siachin is first step for future war.

Indians are not fools better luck next time.

No , They ar not thinlong of any war. War with India will make huge trouble for thm. Unlike 1971, in 2012 Most of the world is not backening thm.

No one want to end p with Nuke armagadon.

 

[Shardul.....the lion]

Whatever happens, Never you should retreat from position of strength

Indian economy, military, polity and diplomacy are at the best or one of the best, we should not give our hard fought positions on top of the glacier.

If Pakistan accepts the validation or notification of positions held at present in siachin then we can back down, otherwise India does not need to compromise its position.

 

[Jade]

I don't think India is going to pull back until Pakistan recognizes the current positions at Siachen.

 

[Imran Khan]

problem is if one side come forward for peace other think they are weak and game continue .fighting on hell ice top of the world is sick idea .

 

[illusion8]

What's India's stand? is India even contemplating a pullback?, there has been no official reply / statement, nothing whatsoever from India's side to Pakistan's April 8th request. A Siachin pullout is not even being discussed in India, other than a few random articles about it, there's nothing from our side.

I don't think India has any intentions of a pull back from Siachin.

 

[Awesome]

I hope India gives a response like a formal denial or formal acceptance and not just leaves this issue in Limbo.

 

[illusion8]

problem is if one side come forward for peace other think they are weak and game continue .fighting on hell ice top of the world is sick idea .

Pakistan has already formally requested for a pull back.