Washington: Pakistan has expressed concern over the planned visit of the US Army chief to Siachen Glacier in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the tour could be seen as an endorsement of New Delhi's position on the disputed territory.
The Embassy of Pakistan has formally conveyed its protest and concern to the Bush Administration over the visit to Siachen Glacier by the US Army Chief George Casey, who is on a three-day visit to India.
It is said that Pakistani Ambassador in Washington Husain Haqqani, following instructions from Islamabad, has sent a "note verbale" to the State Department maintaining that since the US considers Kashmir as a disputed territory, Casey's visit could be seen as an endorsement of New Delhi's position.
Pakistan, through the "note verbale", is also believed to have pointed out that Islamabad and New Delhi are engaged in a dialogue process which could be undermined by the visit of the top military official to the disputed territory.
However, the issue of Casey's visit to Siachen Glacier has not figured in the official briefings of the State Department or the Pentagon.
Gen Casey is expected to be briefed on high-altitude land warfare techniques during his visit to the Siachen base camp.
In the past, Pakistan has objected to India allowing civil and military expeditions to the Siachen Glacier, where troops from both countries have been engaged in a face-off since 1984.
Indian and Pakistani troops regularly traded fire along the Line of Actual Control on Siachen till a ceasefire was put in place along the frontiers in Jammu and Kashmir in late 2003.
Comments
0 comment