DGMO for Pak. 'early next week'

By Atul Aneja

NEW DELHI, JULY 8. The Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO), Lt. General G.S Sihota, would leave for Islamabad ``early next week to discuss with his counterpart, ways to ease military tensions along the Line of Control and the Siachen area,'' an Army spokesman said here today.

Lt. Gen. Sihota, who may leave on Tuesday, would be the first ever DGMO to visit Pakistan, official sources said. During the visit, prior to the India-Pakistan summit in Agra, he is expected to make a first-hand assessment of the latest Pakistan disposition on Kashmir, the Siachen glacier, possible people-to- people contacts between Kashmiris across the LoC and related military confidence building measures (CBMs).

Gen. Sihota, whose inputs are expected to have a crucial impact on shaping the deliberations during the summit, will discuss with the Pakistani authorities the Indian standpoint on major security-related issues bedeviling the bilateral relations.

It is now fairly clear that the key to any narrowing of differences between India and Pakistan on Kashmir will depend on the extent to which the infiltrations across the LoC can be reduced.

In case the reduction of infiltration can be demonstrated within a reasonable time-frame, say around one month, other military CBMs and a wider economic agenda can get opened up in the future. A perceptible drop in cross-border movement of militants, for instance, can bring pruning of forces in Kashmir high on the Indo-Pak. agenda. A slowdown in infiltration will also facilitate the possible movement of Kashmiris on both sides of the LoC along the old Srinagar- Muzaffarabad road.

After considerable internal debate, the security establishment is arriving at the conclusion that a discussion on Siachen with Pakistan is not possible in isolation. The Army is of the view that a withdrawal of forces from Siachen by both sides in the future should be linked to an overall reduction of forces along the 540-km. LoC.

As far as India is concerned, Pakistani forces, in case they disengage from Siachen, should be re-positioned north of the Buruzil Pass, main point of entry for its troops located in Gilgit and Skardu. In case mutual withdrawal from Siachen is agreed, the imbalance in force levels, in favour of India will also have to be addressed. The Indian side may therefore be inclined to discuss Siachen pullouts simultaneously with overall reduction of forces along the LoC.

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