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India may pull out from Siachen
The government of the United Progressive Alliance appears to have buckled under US pressure and the persistent demands of Pakistan to completely withdraw its 4,000 troops from Siachen, the highest battlefield in the world, Indian newspaper The Pioneer reported on Friday.The paper reported that following a secret meeting between Indian National Security Adviser MK Narayanan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Dubai in the last week of February, India has agreed in principle to the phased withdrawal of the Indian Army from its positions. Narayanan is believed to have discussed the matter with Aziz and also conveyed the seriousness of the Indian government on the issue. Government sources told the paper that the finer points of this highly contentious issue would be discussed in the next round of defence secretary level talk between the two countries scheduled for the first week of May. "If all goes well, the agreement could be inked by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he visits Pakistan in August this year," the paper reported. Posted by: Fred 2006-04-08 |
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