A parliamentary panel on Wednesday proposed a three-point plan for peace in Siachen, saying that the three decade long conflict has been a waste of human and material resources.
The proposal was presented by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, who returned from a visit to the Siachen outpost along with members of the parliamentary panel on Defence.
Terming the perennial standoff between Pakistan and India as “a pointless conflict” the senator called for demilitarization of Siachen, adding that both sides should move towards defusing the confrontation.
For more than 30 years, Pakistan and India have maintained troops and battle positions in freezing cold temperatures on the Siachen glacier. The archrivals have had intermittent skirmishes since 1984 to claim what is known as the world’s highest battlefield.
The senator suggested that both sides should find a formula for pulling back their forces from positions in the icy mountain, adding that Siachen should be converted into a peace park where mountain tourism and expeditions could be encouraged under the supervision of the United Nations environmental Program [UNEP] and World Tourism Organisation [WTO].
He also recommended collaboration on preserving the environment to combat the consequences of climate change and global warming in the region.
“We should learn from the Gyari tragedy, which resulted in the loss of 140 lives,” the senator cautioned. Commenting on the altitude, Mushahid said that “the tallest post is at the height of 22,000 metres and it takes 21 days of slow climbing to reach the peak.”
“They are specially trained troops who can survive such harsh living conditions, with temperatures that dip to minus 50 degrees,” he added.
He said that 90% of casualties are caused by the severe weather, which includes frostbite, lung and chest diseases, loss of memory and depressive episode.
“The most difficult moment is when a soldier falls sick and he has to be evacuated, which is a major logistical exercise,” he added.
Talking about previous efforts to resolve the issue, Mushahid said that they “were sabotaged on three different occasions by the Indian military establishment.”
“On all occasions Indian army chiefs have overruled the political leadership to sabotage any possibility of peace agreement between the two sides over Siachen,” he added.
He said an agreement on Siachen was almost reached in 1989 between then prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and her Indian counterpart Rajiv Gandhi but General V.N. Sharma overruled the agreement. Later in 2005, former Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh proclaimed the peak as a “mountain of peace” and publicly sought to convert Siachen into a peace park. However, General J.J. Singh opposed it, citing “security concerns” and termed it “against India’s national interest.”
The Pakistan Muslim League Quaid lawmaker also urged both countries to collaborate on environmental issues, climate change and global warming.
“We should approach issues with a big heart and even take pride in each other’s achievement.”
Praising India for its Mars mission, Mushahid said New Delhi should also take pride in Pakistan’s achievement in areas of science, technology, IT, arts, literature and culture.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2014.
COMMENTS (32)
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N.S. is very much a seasoned polititian now getting internation support for his proactive approach against terrorists . He knows well the Indian demand and Modi also knowing his current demand . I feel give and take policy will work here which could be complementary to each others need . And hence the visit will be no more a futile move .
How naive Senator! !
If Indians had been bit reasonable why would we left it and made Pakistan?
Of course they will always act as mighty power with a tiny heart.
Stop living in fools paradise.
Kargil war was a created war . Who created it is a vallid question in this respect . An ordinary people can't understand it easily . As a matter of fact under the international commitment army was under pressure to wage war against terrorists , A significant number of people in pak army were against it .All of them and streategic assests were given green signal to attack on India through a terrain not connected with proper logistics . India initially suffered a great loss and would have lost the war game but when they realized the purpose of this unaspected attack they started to use all types of weapons through land as well as air to sloughter the intruders . All hardliners were allowed to get eliminated for clearing the way for Pak army to participate openly in war against terrorists now . It has also increased the possibility of getting solution to the complex Kashmir issue which is resposible for all the problums of Pakistan facing today . The present political problum is also a fabricated one by those who lost in Kargil war and now feeling that they lost this war due to their own people . Adter ''red star'' and operation in NW , these elements are now adopting an entirely different streategy .
Have you forgotten Kargil where a war was forced on us? We have not.
Mushahid is a clever double faced Janus, he need not worry about Indian soldiers suffering in high altitudes and limit himself to what he can do for Pakistani soldiers getting buried under rubble. The day Pakistani Establishment spokesmen start caring about their own country and its territory and not others territory, Pakistan would be better off.
First things first. Mushahid 'Mandela' Hussain saheb may write and say whatever he wants about Siachen. But, the fact remains that the Pakistani Army is far away from Siachen, at the bottom of the Saltoro range. I take it as the Pakistani propensity to lie to its own people and ignore that. Clearly, this is another attempt in the long list of attempts by Pakistan to get what it could not get otherwise in the battlefields. My Pakistani friends must read neutral accounts of how the Siachen dispute came about. Then, they will understand how Pakistan tried to surreptitiously 'take over' these glaciers by the same ruse of, that 'Mandela' Hussain saheb is now suggesting under the garb of a Peace Park, allowing climbers from various nations to climb the peaks here. India pre-empted that a couple of weeks ahead and today we know that had it not done so, Pakistan Army would be sitting in these very same places today. So, Pakistan must not claim a moral pedestal. More importantly, Siachen is no longer a place of importance for India because of Pakistan. It has acquired far more significance for us because of the China factor, especially after Pakistan granted full and unfettered access to the PLA for the Gilgit-Baltistan areas. My humble suggestion to my Pakistani friends is therfore to forget wating your time on trying to occupy Siachen through subterfuge, and concentrate your efforts elsewhere
India can't trust Pakistan. Pakis will play Kargil with Siachen if Indian army moves out. Pakistan is a country that insulted its dead soldiers by refusing to take their dead bodies back from India in Kargil war. Pakistan forced its army soldiers to wear salwars, what a shame.
The " Mandela" of Pakistan should be big -hearted too and consider the following three point-formula. 1. Authentication of Siachen by Pakistan, 2. Initiate CBMs in the region, and 3) jointly declare it as Mountain of Peace
@oBSERVER: This is a Sooth Asian newspaper
Let India sit there in siachen and freeze to death, pakistani can bury their bodies. we all know Pakistan's location is more beneficial in Kashmir region than india is, India is hardly consider part of Asia. Most Indians even today think Kashmir as part of Pakistan which they are occupying by force and against peoples will. Most Indian don't know where Kashmir is located and all Indian people have never seen Kashmir valley in real bit only in movies n TVs.
@Ahmed - Karachi who talked about war here? From indian point of view its ignore button. Accept loc as border or happy with how things are and ignore verbal rhetorics and potshots from other side and are focusing on development of their country. It's "core" issue to you. For us our "core" issue is development and economics. The opinion here is if you want war/proxy war fine bring it, we will respond. But has to come from your end, we won't initiate or waste time waging it. If you don't, then too we are fine and can plug our ears to your taunts and continue to do our economic home work. Indian army never has and can never rule india. Majority of the country don't even know their Chiefs name. The powerful top to bottom order in our country goes in this order. 1. politicians 2.judiciary 2.coporates that fund politicians party fund and put forth their corporate interests. 3. Babus- The brain that does all the work and strategies, advise and implement their plans. 4. Media 5. Army,police, security aparatus that take order and secure country. 6. Civil society groups(rights organisation). Common man no power follow what's the culture set by politics. As far as Siachen. Politicians don't have freaking clue about technicality of such things. They call army to inform along with bureaucrats. Army clearly says it's our advantage point unless they recognise it as "our land" It's detrimental to india's interest. After taking opinion , babus advise. Then it's the politicians who decide and army has to follow their orders whatever decisions they make. But politicians never risk especially after Kargil. Any war or loss of indian territory due to their faulty decision will haunt them forever as well as make their govt fall with people voting them out. Politicians are and will never be ready to take such risks.
Is this newspaper published from Delhi?
So many people backing India here. India may be stronger than Pakistan but if you think war is the way out then please reconsider. Pakistan goes down - it cripples India to the extent of self destruction. 50 years of war and you still want more. The fact that most Indian government decisions were over-ruled by the military shows it's actually the military that's running your country. Good luck to you if you think hostility is the only way forward for both countries. What you read in your history books is not always the truth and the same goes for us Pakistanis. Step out from traditional brainwashed thinking and try to think of solutions that would be mutually beneficial to each of our countries. Peace.
I am Pakistani. Neighbors cannot close the doors for each other. India suspended the talks after giving current affair excuses. Actually they are showing that India don't need Pakistan. India unfairly built dams on Pakistani rivers and worsen the flooding by holding water with greed above capacity in those dams. Indians dreaming to become rival to China but focusing their actions on Pakistan, such a small nation with huge population and resources. Leave India until they ready to request for hold talks.
Siachen is not a Indo-Pak issue any more. The Chinese are now there in POK, Shaksgam, Shahidullah and Aksai Chin. The Pakis are party to this Chinese advances. Therefore to us this is a Sino-Pak axis working to put bilateral tone to an issue that is now part of the emerging asian power struggle. Pakistan is increasingly behaving like a handle of Chinese foreign policy in Asia. This plan, to me, only confirms the inevitability of Pak becoming a client state of China.
@shrini
" India and Pakistan used to vacate their positions during Winter and return back to their respective positions along the LOC ONLY in mid spring… what happened".....SIACHEN
Please come out of your partial memory lapse, or get your head examined. Siachen conflict was initiated by India 15 years before anyone heard the word Kargil.
I am writing about Siachen for the umpteenth time but somehow Tribune has never published my comments. Let me try again. The Pakistanis keep harping that Siachen dispute was close to being resolved and the Indian army chiefs' vetoed the proposal. Now let me set the record straight. Whenever the Indian govt had tried to resolve the Siachen matter and asked the army's opinion on troop withdrawl from the Saltoro ridge and the associated passes, the army has told the govt that any withdrawl without acknowledging the Actual Ground Position Line(AGPL) and exchange of maps with Pakistan can be suicidal. If Pakistani troops occupy Saltoro ridge which is the gateway to Siachen glacier after Indian withdrawl then it would be almost impossible to reclaim the lost territory considering the harsh terrain. Even if Indian troops manage to reclaim territory, the price in terms of loss of life could be mind boggling. Therefore the army gives professional advice to the govt and it is the fear of loss of territory that prevents Indian leaders from ordering army to withdraw. Any loss of territory to Pakistan, which was hiterto well held, could be politically suicidal for the netas. As far as Pakistan is concerned, why is it adamant to avoid authentication of AGPL? By authenticating AGPL Pak army's propaganda that they are perched on the Siachen glacier would be laid bare. Moreover by accepting AGPL, Pak army can not illegally occupy Siachen in future. I request Tribune to please publish my comments.
@adi: I messaged and tweeted them. but they might not interested to correct their mistake.
"New Delhi should also take pride in Pakistan’s achievement in areas of science, technology, IT, arts, literature and culture". Oh yeah we loved your WATER CAR and the support it received from your nuclear scientists. You guys are an inspiration to the whole world in Science. IT...sure I guess there is a lot we can learn from your IT skills. How about you guys list out your achievements in that area? Culture....we are not sure coz we don't particularly enjoy blowing up one another in the name of sects. Once you figure out which Arab culture you guys belong to, we can have a discussion. So all in all thanks but no thanks!
Pakistan is not even present in Siachen. So when Pakistan proposed that oth countries should vacate Siachen what it means is that India should unilaterally vacate Siachen.
The concern for environment sounds strange coming from a country hat ives permission to gulf royals to hunt endangered ustards, where he PM serves venison though deer hunting withoutbpermit is illegal, deforestation is occuring at the fastestvpace in Asia.
Nice try.
So he want Indians to appreciate our contributions to science like running car on water, which was validated by people like Abdul Qadeer Khan......
Do something good, world will appreciate you without requesting for appraisal from India........
We should all take pride in Pakistan's achievements in science...like WATER CAR and Dysfunctional satellite (borrowed that too) etc. Great going :). You guys are an inspiration.
Praising India for its Mars mission, Mushahid said New Delhi should also take pride in Pakistan’s achievement in areas of science, technology, IT, arts, literature and culture.
Could you please elaborate on this..........
The Indian Military establishment or ruled political establishment has this been so there have been many military Dictators in India, it is not Pakistan Army the Indian Army Generals may be JJ Singh or any other never enjoy such wast powers. Yes there is no use of wasting our limited resources for up keep of such barren land and both countries should come forward to resolve this at the earliest.
We are no fools. We have learnt from Kargil. Modi very well remembers Kargil during Vajpayee era. Pakistanis have to get used to the fact that BJP is not going to make any concessions what so ever. Just live with it.
Talk of demarcating an IB and the situation will get defused rest is all noise .
Nice idea but India has a belligerent posture it is unlikely to back away from.
"Mushahid said New Delhi should also take pride in Pakistan’s achievement in areas of science, technology, IT"
sure why not,please list them one by one...anyways what were those three points he proposed
what kinda blabber is this,pakistan sits at the bottom of the glacier and asks india to vacate the vantage point, who would do that