Question : DE MILITARISATION OF SIACHEN GLACIER

(a) India’s official position with regard to the De-militarisation of the Siachen Glacier;

(b) whether the Indian position takes into account the United Nations (U.N.) Resolution of 13 August 1948 and the Ceasefire Agreement of 29 July 1949 signed between the military representatives of India, Pakistan and the U.N. Military Observer Group;

(c) whether the Ceasefire Agreement of 29 July 1949 clearly states that the ceasefire line would run “Thence north to the glaciers” beyond NJ 9842;

(d) if so, the reasons for insistence by the Government of India as reported after every round of Defence Secretary-level talks on the authentication of the Actual Ground Position Line and not the delineation of the Cease Fire Line (CFL) in terms of the 29 July 1949 Karachi Agreement; and

(e) the steps taken by India to tackle the Cartographic Aggression whereby international Maps now depict the CFL as extending from NJ 9842 to a point west of the Karakoram Pass?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE (SHRI A.K. ANTONY)

(a) & (b): The area of Siachen Glacier is an integral part of India. Government’s principled and consistent position is that the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Indian Union. A part of the territory of the State is under the illegal and forcible occupation of Pakistan. The issue that remains to be resolved in Jammu and Kashmir is the vacation by Pakistan of the area under its illegal occupation.

India remains committed to resolving all outstanding issues with Pakistan bilaterally and peacefully in accordance with the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.

(c) The Ceasefire line (CFL) has to be interpreted in the light of the Karachi Agreement, 1949 and the Simla Agreement, 1972. The LC is interpreted to run northwards to glacier from point NJ 9842 and as per the principles of International Law along the watershed formed by the Saltoro Range.

(d) The official Indian standpoint considers Siachen holistically and it is based upon our principled and consistent positions as mentioned vide parts (a) & (b) above and ensures that adequate safeguards are in place to ensure the integrity of our territorial borders.

(e) As and when any map depicting Indian borders inaccurately is brought to the notice of the Government, the matter is taken up with the publisher through the concerned Indian Mission besides impressing upon them that the distortions / discrepancies should not be repeated in future publications. This cartographic aggression, on the basis on incorrect delineation, was taken up with the US Government in 1983 itself. Besides, the position of Government of India has also been conveyed to the Government of Pakistan through military and diplomatic channels.