India-Pak talks on Siachen inconclusive

New Delhi, May 24 (UNI) India and Pakistan today agreed to continue talking on demilitarising the Siachen glacier after failing yet again to formulate a plan for withdrawing their troops from the icy battlefield.

At the end of the Tenth Round of Defence Secretary-Level Talks here to end their conflict over the Siachen glacier, both sides reiterated their commitment to withdraw their troops from the 76-km-long Siachen glacier -- but failed to agree on the sticking issue of authenticating on-ground positions on the glacier where thousands of soldiers have died not so much due to war but because of altitude sickness, accidents and deadly avalanches.

Briefing mediapersons here at the conclusion of the two-day talks, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said ''this area of difference'' was still continuing but held out the hope that ''perhaps there can be forward movement in another round of discussions''.

''This is one of the perennial problems... discussions are continuing for quite some time... it has been agreed that both sides will withdraw....'' But -- making clear the Indian stand on the withdrawal issue -- the Defence Minister pointed out: ''We want that before the process of withdrawal and redeployment starts, the existing places should be designated and authenticated in a document signed and agreed by both sides....'' The Indian position presses for marking of troop positions on a map as well as on the ground -- the Actual Ground Position Line -- as evidence in case the area is reoccupied after a deal, while Pakistan opposes authentication of ground positions on the Siachen, located at a height of 22,000 feet in the Himalayas, as it believes such an exercise would legitimise Indian occupation of the strategic glacier in 1984.

Mr Mukherjee admitted that both sides could make no breathrough over the issue as ''they are not agreeing to this proposal for quite some time... and this area of difference is still continuing....'' ''But we are still engaged in discussions... and perhaps there can be forward movement in another round of discussions,'' hoped the Defence Minister.

The Indian side to the talks was led by Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt while Lt Gen (Retd) Tariq Waseem Ghazi headed the Pakistani delegation.

On the opening day yesterday of the two-day deliberations, the two sides were understood to have also discussed a Joint Monitoring Mechanism -- including aerial and electronic surveillance -- to ascertain transgressions of an agreement, if it was reached, on withdrawal of troops from the Siachen glacier.

The talks on Siachen -- part of the ongoing Composite Dialogue between the two countries -- will be followed by two-day talks commencing tomorrow on the demarcation of the Sir Creek -- the narrow strip of marshland that separates the two countries along their western border.

Thereafter, the two countries will hold Home Secretary-level parleys on terrorism and drug-trafficking on May 30 and 31 in Islamabad. This will be followed by talks between Culture Secretaries on the promotion of friendly exchanges on June 1 and 2 here.

UNI DG VA ND1410