Don't send trekkers to Siachen: Pak to India

Pakistan on Wednesday urged India not to send any trekking expeditions to the Siachen glacier. It said such a move would vitiate the atmosphere for the composite dialogue process between the two countries.

"We hope India will not take steps that vitiate the atmosphere for the composite dialogue process," Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Sadiq said.

"We hope India will not send trekking expedition to Siachen, which is disputed territory, as such steps vitiate the atmosphere for talks," he said.

Sadiq was reacting to Indian Defence Minister A K Antony's statement in Parliament that treks to the glacier should not affect the peace process between the two countries.

Antony had said Siachen is within the state of Jammu and Kashmir and an integral part of India.

Pakistan had lodged a strong protest when the Indian Army organised a trekking expedition comprising civilians to the glacier the world's highest and coldest battlefield in September.

Indian and Pakistani troops have been engaged in a stand-off along the 110-km Actual Ground Position Line on Siachen since 1984 though a ceasefire came into effect in November 2003.

In response to a question, Sadiq said a new package unveiled by President Pervez Musharraf to give autonomy to the federally administered Northern Areas would not change the 'disputed' status of Jammu and Kashmir.

The administrative package defines the relations between Islamabad and the Northern Areas and was drawn up in response to demand from people of the region.

"It changes the administrative set-up in the Northern Areas, it does not change the status of Jammu and Kashmir, which is determined by UN Security Council resolutions," Sadiq said.

Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro has said that the Kashmir dispute needs to be resolved in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.