Armies of India, Pak biggest hurdle in solving Siachen: Pak minister

ISLAMABAD: Ahead of its key talks with India on the Siachen issue, Pakistan has claimed that the biggest hurdle in resolving the military standoff on the world's highest battlefield are the armies of the two countries.

Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, who was the defence minister till yesterday and has now been given the water and power portfolio in a minor Cabinet reshuffle, said India and Pakistan both stand to benefit from resolving the Siachen issue.

Both countries stood to gain nothing from the standoff on Siachen and the matter only served to satiate egos, he claimed during an interview with BBC Urdu.

He said the only way for India and Pakistan to coexist was to sit at the table and discuss the Siachen issue.

The Pakistani minister claimed that the biggest hurdle in resolving the military standoff on the Siachen glacier are the armies of Pakistan and India.

Senior Indian and Pakistani officials are set to hold talks on the Siachen issue in Islamabad on June 11 against the backdrop of renewed calls from the Pakistani civil and military leadership for the demilitarisation of the world's highest battlefield.

In response to a question, Mukhtar claimed Siachen was Pakistani territory and Pakistan had "responded" when India claimed the glacier.

"We think we can come to an agreement. India wants to talk on the Sir Creek issue first, we want to talk about Siachen first - the same issue of egos," he claimed.

"I think (Pakistan army chief Gen) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani understands this issue better than all of us and will help reach a decision when the time comes."

Asked how the Defence Minister, who is placed higher than the army chief, would allow a subordinate to take a decision, Mukhtar said that "Kayani would offer guidance (and) support, just as the government cooperates and supports the army."

Responding to a question why Pakistan is not making the first move of unilaterally withdrawing its troops to resolve the Siachen issue, Mukhtar contended that India was a big country and Pakistan expects it to demonstrate magnanimity by making the first move.

In response to another question, he said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh want to resolve the Siachen issue through dialogue.

Indian and Pakistani troops have been engaged in a standoff on Siachen since 1984.

The guns have largely been silent since late 2003, when the two countries put in place a ceasefire along the frontiers in Jammu and Kashmir, and more troops have died on the glacier due to adverse weather than combat.

Since an avalanche killed 139 people at a high-altitude Pakistan Army camp in the Siachen sector in April, security analysts and civil society groups have questioned the deployment of troops in the hazardous terrain

Read more »

Pak Army - Let Martyred Soldiers Defend Siachen

According to the media reports dead body of a Sep Muhammad Hussain, Shaheed has been recovered on the 50th day of Rescue Operation in Gayari Sector. The soldier’s body would be sent to his native village located near Skardu.

On 7 April 2012 an Avalanche has hit 138 officers, soldiers and civilians at Gayari sector near Siachen Glacier. Lt Col Tanvir Ul Hassan, Maj ZakaUlHaq and Capt HaleemUllah (AMC) are part of the missing soldiers.

The incident occurred at about an altitude of 16,000 feet and 180 miles northeast of Skardu, the capital of Baltistan. President Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Army Chief, PML (N) leader Nawaz Sharif, COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, leading journalists and media anchors visited Siachen. Whole nation expressed deep sorrow and regret over the “unfortunate snow slide”. The nation has shown solidarity with the aggrieved families of the soldiers and is continuously praying for their survival and safety.

However, the rescue operation is underway and entered into 50th day of the operation. Despite weather hazards, brave Pakistani troops with the help of experts from Germany, Switzerland, Xinhua and sniffer dogs, aided by helicopters and heavy equipment are recklessly trying to find their comrades under 80 feet deep snow after the avalanche engulfed the camp in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

According to ISPR update of May 22, 2012, “clearance efforts continued round the clock at Gayari Sector. Simultaneous efforts are being undertaken to tackle effects of water on the site in the shape of pondages, cutting and crevasses. The water has started draining and has resulted into quick reduction of water level in the lake to the tune of 27 feet”.

“Excavation work has resumed its full pace despite difficulties posed by seepage of the water at the sites, hazards of crevasses / cutting by water and sinking effects for plant equipment”.“Meanwhile during physical inspection of the area, some equipment was found”.

Notably, COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is directly looking after the rescue efforts and being courageous commander determined to excavate each inch of the area in the search of his brave soldiers. I, being his cadet and retired commander of “The Volunteers” (an infantry unit that served in Siachen Sector) can visualize the importance of search of the bodies of martyred soldiers for their comrades and families. But still, as fighter, familiar with the circumstances where many soldiers laid their lives in the war zones and area like Siachen but still their bodies did not recover or traced out due to topography, unfavorable environmental conditions and weather hazards. It doesn’t mean that soldiers do not remember their comrades or nation forget its heroes those scarified their lives for their tomorrows. But, I would only say that while viewing the efforts of rescue operation, we must consider the ground realties too. Moreover, being Muslims, we fully convinced and have full faith that person who gets martyr in Allaha’s path, will remain alive and never dies. Thus, it would not be wrong in saying that soldiers who had scarified their lives for us would be taken as everlasting invisible guardian of Pakistan’s territorial boundaries. I also know that some loves one of the missing soldiers of Gayari Sector are in the opinion that now search of the bodies of missing personnel be stopped and they should be declared as Shaheed (martyr) since it is difficult to fight the nature.

On May 3 2012, father of Major Zaka, who came under avalanche accompanied COAS during his visit to Siachen, while talking to journalist appreciated the efforts of troops participating in rescue operation. He also stated that he is proud of his son and other soldiers who scarified their lives. According to ISPR press release, at that occasion, COAS remained with the troops for some time and lauded their motivation in face of tough conditions and extreme weather. He appreciated their resolve to upkeep Army’s proud tradition of not leaving a man behind, until humanly possible, regardless of cost.

Anyhow, being one of the old warriors of Siachen, I know that after passing 50 days the chances of survival of soldiers buried under 80 feet of snow are very rare and meager. By now, the dead bodies might also be started decomposition because of natural phenomena.

Moreover after two months time the temperature will again start decreasing which will definitely make the snow harder and harder. I would like to suggest here that “Let Martyred Soldiers should stay there to Defend Siachen” and now army should start taking steps of compensation of the aggrieved families while declaring their loves one as martyred. Moreover over, in the honor of country’s defenders, Army should build a memorial in Gayari sector. The memorial will keep us reminding about our brave soldiers those are there to defend our territories.

I would also like to mention few words of Indian Army Chief Interview of May 26 2012. In this interview, he instead acknowledging and giving serious thoughts over Pakistani COAS to de-militarize Siachen area rejected the same while considering his troops in the better deployment position where as it just amount to live in fool paradise. Indian Chief must consider the weather hazards and expenditures incurring on Siachen Issue. He should not forget his causalities which are more than Pakistani casualties.

Read more »

U.S. Experts to Help Pakistan Find Avalanche Victims

The U.S. sent a team of experts Sunday to help Pakistan search for 135 people buried a day earlier by a massive avalanche that engulfed a military complex in a mountain battleground close to the Indian border.

At least 240 Pakistani troops and civilians worked at the site of the disaster at the entrance to the Siachen Glacier with the aid of sniffer dogs and heavy machinery, said the army. But they struggled to dig through some 25 metres of snow, boulders and mud that slid down the mountain early Saturday morning.

Pakistani army spokesman Gen. Athar Abbas said Sunday evening that it was unclear whether any of the people who were buried are still alive. At least 124 soldiers from the 6th Northern Light Infantry Battalion and 11 civilian contractors are missing.

"Miracles have been seen and trapped people were rescued after days...so the nation shall pray for the trapped soldiers," Abbas said in an interview on Geo TV.

Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited the site Sunday to supervise rescue operations.

The U.S. sent a team of eight experts to Islamabad to provide technical assistance, said the Pakistani army. Pakistan will consult with the team to determine what help is needed to expedite the rescue operation.

The American assistance comes at a tense time between the two countries and could help improve relations following American airstrikes in November that accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at two posts along the Afghan border.

Pakistan retaliated by closing its border crossings to supplies meant for NATO troops in Afghanistan. The Pakistani parliament is currently debating a new framework for relations with the U.S. that Washington hopes will lead to the reopening of the supply line.

The avalanche in Siachen, which is on the northern tip of the divided Kashmir region claimed by both India and Pakistan, highlighted the risks of deploying troops to one of the most inhospitable places on earth.

The thousands of soldiers from both nations stationed there brave viciously cold temperatures, altitude sickness, high winds and isolation for months at a time. Troops have been posted at elevations of up to 6,700 metres and have skirmished intermittently since 1984, though the area has been quiet since a ceasefire in 2003. The glacier is known as the world's highest battlefield.

Abbas, the army spokesman, said the headquarters that was buried was located in an area previously believed to be safe. At an altitude of around 4,500 metres, it is the main gateway through which troops and supplies pass on their way to more remote outposts.

More soldiers have died from the weather than combat on the glacier, which was uninhabited before troops moved there.

Conflict there began in 1984 when India occupied the heights of the 78 kilometre-long glacier, fearing Pakistan wanted to claim the territory. Pakistan also deployed its troops. Both armies remain entrenched despite the cease-fire, costing the poverty-stricken countries many millions of dollars each year.

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since the partition of the subcontinent on independence from Britain in 1947. Two of the wars have been over Kashmir, which both claim in its entirety.

Read more »