Search the Internet          Tips

Pak dismisses report on Siachen agreement

K J M Varma in Islamabad

Pakistan on Wednesday dismissed as "total conjecture" a report in a local daily stating the forthcoming Indo-Pak summit could result in an agreement between both sides on pulling out their forces from the Siachen Glacier.

Pakistani Defence Spokesman Major General Rashid Quereshi said that the report was a "total conjecture" and that he was not aware of any such agenda to be included in the forthcoming summit between General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"As far as I know, no such discussions took place between both the countries", he said.

The Pakistani newspaper Dawn in a report speculated that two sides had decided on a pullout after realising that the Siachen engagement is contributing significantly to the tensions between the two countries as well as costing them a huge amount in terms of men, money and material.

In yet another report on Wednesday, Dawn said both Musharraf and Vajpayee would aim to reach agreements on defusing tensions over a host of issues.

The measures, according to the report, included demobilisation of troops on either side of Line of Control, controlling infiltration, reduction of violence, facilitating greater interaction between Kashmiri leaders on both sides, and a fully functional communication system to avoid misunderstanding in a conflict situation besides Kashmir.

Reacting to the story, Quereshi said he has not yet read it and wanted time to crosscheck the facts.

ALSO SEE:
The India-Pakistan Summit 2001

Tell us what you think of this report