The statement from the Indian government came after army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, in an unusually candid talk with the media, joined the debate about the human and financial cost of fighting in an uninhabitable area – suggesting that the Pakistan Army was in favour of demilitarising Siachen, which is also dubbed the world’s highest battleground.
He had said that Pakistan and India should resolve all outstanding disputes with each other, including Kashmir and Siachen, through dialogue.
Earlier, in a similar statement, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had also advised the Pakistani government to take the lead and withdraw its troops from Siachen Glacier where 138 troops and civilians were buried by a massive avalanche over a week ago.
Correction: An earlier version of this article had incorrectly attributed a statement by Indian Minister of State for Defence, MM Pallam Raju to the Indian Defence Minister AK Antony. The correction has been made.
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