E-Paper
Pak mum on Siachen troop positions
New Delhi insists on proper verification of troop positions held by India and Pakistan along the AGPL in Siachen.
Indicating its hesitation to authenticate troop positions at Siachen, Pakistan has asked India not to make it "do things which compromise our own position" and said that a way can be found around this pre-condition for demilitarisation of the region.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said progress has been made on Jammu and Kashmir as also Siachen and Sir Creek and something achievable is within grasp.
"It (settlement of Siachen issue) can be done provided you don't make us do things which compromise our own position. If the only purpose is to let people know where the two armies are, I think we can find a way around it," he said in an interview to Karan Thapar for CNN-IBN.
"It's for the Indian leadership to take that decision," Kasuri said, adding, "I see no reason why it cannot be done."
India and Pakistan agreed last year to demilitarise the world's highest battlefield but New Delhi has maintained that there should be proper authentication of the positions presently held by the two countries along the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) before redeployment can take place.
Kasuri insisted, "enough progress has been made" on Siachen and Sir Creek and maintained that given the political will, both issues can be resolved.
"If you show progress on Siachen and also on Sir Creek and I think there are grounds for saying that can be done...We would definitely hope that that happens," he said.
