By TCN News,
New Delhi: Aaghaz-e-Dosti, a group of youths working for Indo-Pak Peace through various ways such as peace education, advocacy and others, has written to the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan to resolve the dispute over Siachen glacier.
Siachen conflict is a military clash between India and Pakistan over the disputed Siachen Glacier region in Kashmir. A cease-fire went into effect in 2003. The contentious area is about 900 square miles to nearly 1,000 square miles of territory.
The conflict started in 1984 with India’s successful Operation Meghdoot during which it gained control of the Siachen Glacier.
“This is a glacier where dispute of land started in 1984 in the reign of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Since then this glacier deployment of security forces resulted as loss of lives and economy of both countries as more than 200 million dollars is expenditure over this deployment. It is a wonder that this deployment was not even considered necessary till 1984 while India and Pakistan had fought two wars till then,” wrote a team of Aaghaz-e-Dosti in their joint letter to India PM Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.
The letter also said that many appeals of civil societies to Governments of India and Pakistan in past appealed to declare Siachen as Peace Park and start demilitarization of both armies from there but despite efforts, it could not be done by the previous governments due to reasons known to them.
“As, now there is change in government and you have shown a positive angle towards resuming talks and resolving disputes, we request you to take up this issue and start resolving the Siachen dispute”, the letter urged.
The group also wrote that if it will be resolved then it will not only save lives of soldiers, but also economy and glacier environment.
“..it would be better if both countries together can set up a jointly operated laboratory for glacial research in Siachen. This will be more fruitful in view of the objective that a place of conflict can be known as a place from where people are working for global challenges”, the group wrote in the end.