Pak dismayed at US Army chief's visit to Siachen

Washington, Oct 18 : Taking a strong exception to the recent US Army chief General W Casey's visit to the base camp at the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir, Pakistan has said that Washington had always maintained that Kashmir is a "disputed area", and that this visit "negated the traditional stand of US over Kashmir".

Pakistan ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani said this while taking a serious notice of the Casey's visit to Siachen.

Haqqani also a letter to the Pakistan Foreign Affairs office and Pentagon expression his country's disappointment.

He said that this visit might create a "massive problem" among people of Pakistan, and that his countrymen could take this visit as notion that the US "supports" India's Kashmir policy.

On the other hand, sources told that foreign office also took up this issue saying, "Any such visit to an area which is disputed and which is under discussion between Pakistan and India will certainly cast a shadow on the ongoing Composite Dialogue between the two neighbors," reported The News.

In the past also, India had taken several expeditions, both civil and army personnel, to Siachen Glacier while calling them "tourist expeditions". However, after Pakistan officially took up this issue with New Delhi, there have been no more reports of these expeditions.

ANI