NEW DELHI, April 20: India’s army chief on Thursday ruled out any immediate troop withdrawal from the disputed Siachen glacier as part of ongoing talks with Pakistan.
“We should not call it demilitarisation as it is a process and the first step will be disengagement and the next will be demilitarisation, but it is not immediately on the horizon as we see,” Indian Army Chief J. J. Singh told a news conference.
The statement came as Islamabad continues to discuss the withdrawal of troops from the Siachen glacier – dubbed the world’s highest battlefield.
The two countries are scheduled to hold talks next month on Siachen that India’s national security adviser said must produce “iron-clad guarantees” to be successful.
Siachen has been “on the anvil for a long time. As far as Siachen is concerned, the issue has been as to how do you authenticate the line where they (troops) are,” National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan told PTI in an interview published on Thursday.
But any change in troop levels on the Siachen glacier would depend on the outcome of the ongoing talks between the two countries, Mr Singh said, adding that the army opposed any quick troop withdrawal but, instead, wanted a step-by-step reduction.
“We have conveyed our concerns and views to the (Indian) government,” he said.—AFP
