Zardari says India, Pak should demilitarise Siachen

Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad, Jul 24 (PTI) India and Pakistan should
demilitarise the Siachen glacier as the troop deployment on
the snowy heights has become a burden on the exchequers of the
two countries, President Asif Ali Zardari has said.
Zardari's fresh comments on the glacier on which the two
countries have held a number of rounds of talks at the Defence
Secretary-level came days after the parleys between the
Foreign Ministers' of the two countries here.
The time has come to demilitarise the Siachen glacier
because of the high cost of the troop deployments, Zardari
told the media Friday night at the Chief Minister's House in
the southern city of Karachi.
He claimed that the Indian army's expenditure on troops
deployed on Siachen was more than that of Pakistan. Despite
this, Pakistan had suggested to India that both countries
should withdraw their forces from the region, he said.
On the Foreign Minister-level talks between the two
countries on July 15, Zardari claimed that India's domestic
politics was responsible for glitches in the parleys.
However, Zardari said Pakistan was hopeful about the
resumption of "meaningful dialogue" with India.
Addressing another gathering at the same venue, the
President said Pakistan had hired an international firm to
work as an arbitrator to resolve differences with India on the
sharing of river waters.
Since India had not come up with a viable solution to the
water issue, Pakistan opted for international arbitration,
he said.
"The first time I met (Indian Prime Minister) Manmohan
Singh, the first thing I spoke to him about was water. I am
talking about the time almost two years ago, when I had just
become President and I was at a UN programme where I met
Manmohan Singh," he told the gathering.
"When (Singh) met me again, he said if there is a
dispute on water, then you can go to the World Bank, you can
go to the adjudicating authorities with your problem and we
will not mind that," he said.
Zardari said he had then consulted the water and power
ministry and the federal government and Pakistan hired an
international firm as an arbitrator to negotiate with the
World Bank and the Indian government on the water problem.
PTI