Pak proposes February 26 for Siachen talks

Islamabad, Feb 19 (UNI) Pakistan has proposed to India that Directors-General Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries should meet here on February 26 to discuss the Siachen issue.

India has still not responded to the proposal made last month, Dawn newspaper quoted Pakistan Foreign Ministry sources as saying.

Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, after talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mohmed Kasuri here on January 13, had announced at a joint press conference that the two sides have agreed to direct officials concerned to meet at an early date to expedite the process of addressing the Siachen issue.

Disclosing that a lot of work had already been done on the Siachen issue, at the same press conference Mr Kasuri had declared that given the political will it could be resolved within days.

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan, during the official talks in New Delhi in November last year had handed over a ''detailed plan'' in this regard to his Indian counterpart, he added.

Referring to the plan as a ''package'', Mr Kasuri said it addressed the concerns of both the countries.

Pakistan had suggested holding of DGMO-level talks on Siachen during the foreign ministers-level meeting last month and India was amenable to the idea. Later, Islamabad formally offered to host the meeting on February 26.

While the two countries have held several rounds of talks on the Siachen issue at the defence secretary-level, the matter has never been taken up at the DGMO-level, officials said.

The last Defence Secretary-level meeting between the two countries on the Siachen issue was held in May 2006 at New Delhi, however, no headway was made.

UNI