‘Pakistan should take the initiative even if India is not flexible'
The former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, urged India and Pakistan on Tuesday to withdraw their troops from the Siachen glacier, the world's highest battlefield where the vagaries of nature claimed more lives than actual fighting.
Mr. Sharif also made out a case for Pakistan taking the initiative after visiting the Gayari sector of the glacier where round-the-clock efforts are on to dig out the bodies of the 124 soldiers of 6 Northern Light Infantry and 11 civilians buried under 80 feet of snow dislodged by an avalanche on April 7. He is the first politician to make it to the site of the natural calamity that has left the nation pondering over the futility of manning the glacier, where not a blade of grass grows but billions have been spent by both countries to secure their northern-most frontiers. President Asif Ali Zardari was to have visited Gayari on Monday, but aborted his plans because of bad weather.
Speaking to journalists at Skardu after returning from Gayari, Mr. Sharif said the two countries should resolve the differences over Siachen and use the money more productively, for the development of the people.
Asked who should take the first step, he said Pakistan should take the initiative even if India was not flexible. Islamabad has long held that the Siachen dispute is a low-hanging fruit on the list of issues that need to be resolved between the two countries. Members of the security establishment argue that it is unfortunate that India is not agreeing to go back to the pre-1984 position first and then discuss the border demarcation further north of NJ 9842.
Keywords: Indo-Pak border, Pakistan Army, Siachen Glacier, Nawaz Sharif
Such a proposal wouldn't have come from the Pakistani authorities,had the soldiers died in the avelaunche belong to India.However,Mr.Sharif's propsal to have the Siachen Glacier, devoid of presence of soldiers from both the countries would augur well for the two countries,since the large amount of expenditure incurred for maintenance of the troops at the siachen glaciar could be diverted and used for other developmental needs,apart from help building confidence by each other,that would go a long way in keeping bonhomie between the two countries.
I whole heartedly agree with Mr. Sharif, finally we have a politician who is talking some sense. Yes, India has to protect itself from two not so friendly countries, however, India should not let this opportunity go by. India can use tecnology available to day to keep a close eye on the vital border, we do not have to sacrifice more invaluable lives for this cause. Indians and Pakistanis are the same people who lived together for several centuries, let us be friends again and spit out the venom of mutual destruction.
Siachen Glacier - The worlds highest battlefield.Too many lives lost on
both sides due to natural calamities. If we withdraw troops on Mr. Sharief's request, immediate effect would be a Chinese incursion.India should maintain her presence on in Siachen as it is we the citizens / taxpayers paying for the defence of our boundary with the neighours.
Siachen is strategic to India as it enables it to watch over the road linking pakistan and China via pakistan occupied Kashmir.It would be foolish to expect India to give up its position unless pakistan recognises that the points are within India.
Sharif is correct in this regard. For decades India and Pakistan have
been sacrificing their military personnel and their time in guarding
pieces of ice in a high and desolate place. Nature has killed more
Pakistani soldiers then the Indian forces. It is time for India and
Pakistan to build on the recent peaceful exchanges and distance
themselves from those regimes that seek to try and drive a wedge
between the two peoples who were historically part of a united sub-
continent. Neo-colonialists and external arms merchants should be
given the boot from South Asia. The region already possesses enough
weapons to destroy the region and beyond. It is time for South Asia
to return to its role of being a moral compass to the rest of the
world and stop being just another of many present-day neo-colonial
serfs.
Based on activities of Hafeez Sayeed and his primary sponsor ISI, I understand Mr Shariff has only made a sensible proposition.President Jardari should try to convince his parliament to initiate the process!
Mr Shariff should take initiatives to stop all kinds terrorism emanating from Pakistan soil. Just imagine what will happend if Afgahanistan and India start doing what Pakistan is doing!
It is truly accepted that both the countries need to work together solve this. What is the use of investing in billions when there is no use out of it. The city where people live is in poverty in both the countries whereas the army and countries are fighting for pride in a place where nobody live. The countries need to know what is the real pride. Every citizen of every country needs to feel happy and secured that he is born in that country and not feel that every day is a matter of survival because he is born in that country. Both the countries are down the table battling in the UNDP Poverty index. Its high time the govenement starts to think logically and stops spending billions in war.It needs to concentrate more on internal development, Unemployment, Illiteracy, child labour and many more which both the countries are battling against. Siachen glaziers is a natural beauty and what is the point in spending billions to say that this border is mine when nobody lives there?
India can not reciprocate as it could lead to another Kargil. Why is it
that Mr. Sharif does not ask Pakistan to stop Terrorism as state policy?
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