Siachen talks: Pak team mum on troop authentication

India made it clear today that discussions on withdrawal from Siachen would happen only after Pakistan agreed in principle to authenticate the current positions held by Indian troops on the Saltoro ridge

India made it clear today that discussions on withdrawal from Siachen would happen only after Pakistan agreed in principle to authenticate the current positions held by Indian troops on the Saltoro ridge, a stipulation that Pakistan stopped short of responding to today, the first day of the 10th round of talks on Siachen.

With another session to be held tomorrow between the Defence Secretary-led delegations from both sides, Pakistan stayed away from committing to New Delhi8217;s condition.

The months of active back-channel negotiations have yielded Pakistan8217;s 8216;8216;in-principle8217;8217; acquiescence on authentication, though it is yet to formally reflect in the current round.

After a meeting with Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee this evening, Pakistan8217;s Defence Secretary Lt Gen Tariq Waseem Ghazi Retd told The Indian Express, 8216;8216;It was a very good day of discussions 8230; We will be in a better position to provide a picture after our talks tomorrow.8217;8217;

India8217;s position that discussions on the format of the Siachen withdrawal plan and the post-pullback monitoring mechanism would ensue only after a meeting of minds on authentication, was also communicated by Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt to his Pakistani counterpart in a meeting this morning ahead of the delegation-level talks at South Block.

This week will also see talks on Sir Creek on May 25-26, the same time that officials from both countries will be in Geneva for an arbitration by the World Bank on the Baglihar dam dispute, and PM Manmohan Singh will be visiting Srinagar for the second roundtable on Kashmir.

While the Indian side communicated its flexibility on the method of authentication, its position being that the disengagement plan should be accompanied by proper post-pullback surveillance and monitoring measures to govern the demilitarised zone. And considering the assymetry of the disengagement8212;the ridge is more accessible from the Pakistan side8212;New Delhi is also of the view that there can be no mechanical equivalance to the withdrawal.

Story continues below this ad

One of the possibilities for authentication already conveyed through the back-channel is that the withdrawal plan itself could list the positions from which Indian positions pull back and also where they will base themselves after that, amounting to automatic, though indirect, authentication.

The 13-member Pakistani delegation, which includes DGMO Maj Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha and Additional Defence Secretary Maj Gen Muhammad Ashraf Chaudhry, also called on National Security Advisor M K Narayanan this evening before being hosted for dinner by the Defence Secretary.