No change in Pakistan's Siachen policy: Foreign Office

FO spokesman says secretary-level defence talks will take place between the two countries.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s policy on the Siachen issue has not changed and it is ready to talk to India over all controversial aspects, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

Foreign Office Spokesman Muazzam Ali Khan, during a weekly briefing, said that secretary-level defence talks with India will be held in Islamabad, but no date has been decided yet. He added that the Siachen issue is part of the talks, and demanded that India retreat back to the pre-1984 position.

The Foreign Office spokesman further said that no new soldiers are being deployed to Siachen.

A recent avalanche in Siachen resulted in the death of more than 100 Pakistan soldiers, building up pressure on both the countries to withdraw troops from the "world's highest battlefield".

Commenting on the re-opening of Nato supply routes, Khan said that no final decision has been taken in the matter but the defence committee has allowed the formation of a work-plan, and the decision will be taken only in the perspective of the parliament’s resolution.