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Why Not Demilitarize Siachen ?

The deadly avalanche that struck the battalion headquarters of the Northern Light Infantry (NLI) in Gyari sector of Siachen Glacier on April 07, 2012 underlined the appalling human and economic costs of the protracted conflict over the possession of the terribly inhospitable roughly 70 kms glacier, which has eaten up over 8,000 Indian and Pakistani soldiers since April 1984. It was yet another bitter reminder to both India and Pakistan. The snow-wall buried buried 135 NLI soldiers of Pakistani Army alive, depriving 135 families of their near and dear ones in a region where no living creatures can survive without protective gear. It certainly is not the fault of the nature but a direct consequence of bloated national egos in New Delhi and Islamabad/Rawalpindi. Both nations continue to stick to their stated positions, thereby prolonging a conflict that, we believe, was close to resolution in 1989 as a result of foreign secretary talks in Islamabad. The genesis of the Siachen conflict'--- lies in the formulation of the cease-fire line (CFL) defined in the 29 July 1949 Karachi Agreement following the first India-Pakistan war.' At the time of finalizing this agreement both parties did not pay much attention to this very mountainous region, which now forms 70 kilometer long Siachen glacier.[1] At the time of this agreement, the Truce Subcommittee of the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan did not explain the CFL all the way to the international border with China. The text of this agreement defines the CFL in this area as running from '--- thence north to the glaciers.'[2] Hence this unfinished work '---led to the current conflict that began in 1984 (when India moved its troops to occupy the heights in the glacier region).'[3] Whereby both the states interpreted the 1949 agreement according to their own understanding: 'Indian interpretation--- is that the line of control (LOC), that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan, should run northeasterly from NJ...

CRSS Discussion Forum India and Pakistan Must Demilitarize Siachin!

Islamabad (Tuesday, April 10, 2012): Both Pakistan and India musturgently assign technical and legal experts to discuss complextechnicalities and legalities of the Siachen Conflict which has becomea global concern. Both countries would do a great service to humanityand the environment if they declared the disputed region as a PeacePark and let international legal experts and scientists deal with theconsequences of the military presence and the impact of theiractivities in the region. Both countries must abide by Principle 19 ofthe June 1992 Rio de Janiero Declaration and address threats to thesuvival of lower riparians such as Maldives and Bangladesh. To prevent any further militarization of what is at the momentconsidered as the highest and coldest battlefield both India andPakistan can resort to an already existing mechanism i.e. UnitedNations Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).These demands came through at a round-table that the Center forResearch and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad organized on April10, 2012 to discuss the latest tragedy at the disputed Siachen Glacierresulting in the deaths of 135 Pakistan army personnel. Since April 1984, when the Indian Army carried out a covert operationcode-named "Meghdoot" and established permanent posts at the SiachenGlacier at heights as high 22,000 feet, the two nuclear-armedneighbours have confronted each other militarily for control over thehighest battlefield in the world and its approaches in the easternKarakorum mountain range, adjacent to the borders of India, Pakistanand China. The deadly avalanche that struck the battalion headquarters of theNorthern Light Infantry (NLI) in Gyari sector of Siachen Glacier onSaturday, April 07, 2012 underlined the appalling human and economiccosts of the protracted bloody conflict over the possession of theterribly inhospitable 50 miles glacier, which has eaten up over 8,000Indian and Pakistani soldiers between April 1984 and April 2012. As aresult of...

Pakistan Conflict Tracker Weekly Report (Mar. 3o-Apr. 5, 2012)

There was upsurge in violence during the current week, as compared to the past week. The salient feature was a spree of sectarian attacks in the largest metropolis of Pakistan, Karachi, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan. The data collected through different sources suggest that 158 people lost their lives in 42 incidents of violence across the country, and once again it was the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and tribal regions, which witnessed majority of violence during the course of the week (for details see data sheet). The violent clashes also left 107 people injured across the country. While, five sectarian attacks this week, resulted in the killing of 23 persons dead and 54 injured. Unlike the previous four weeks, it was the civilians who endured the worst ofthe ongoing spate of violence in the country, in this reporting week, 77 civilians were killed and 83 were left injured in various incidents of violence across the country. The second highest number of casualties was of militants as 76 militants were killed and seven others were injured in different clashes during the course of week. Meanwhile, a CIA operated drone strike in South Waziristan Agency (FATA) killed four suspected militants. Furthermore, the sabotage campaign by the militants continued unabated this week as well, as a gas pipeline, an electricity tower and two more government schools were blown up in Balochistan and KP provinces. Target killings proved to be the most lethal weapon to project violence, as 76 percent of the total civilian causalities occurred due to target killings across the country. Figures in the above chart depict that almost two fifth (2/5) of the total killings were recorded in the financial and commercial hub of Pakistan, Karachi. The persistent clashes between militants and security forces, especially in KP and FATA region were responsible for almost one half of the total deaths, as 77 persons, mostly the militants, were killed and 18 were wounded in different military vs....

Weekly Data Sheet (March 30-April 5, 2012)

Future of Al-Qaeda and Pak-US relations: A Discussion Forum with Peter Bergen

Islamabad (Thursday, 05 April, 2012): Al-Qaeda has lost in war of ideas and Arab Spring is vivid example of this. US- Pakistan relations will get better in future. Unfortunately, strengths of Pakistan are misunderstood in USA. Pakistan can boast of independent judiciary and thriving media. This was stated by prominent US journalist, author and the director of the national security studies program at the New America Foundation in Washington D.C., Peter Bergen during a discussion forum 'Future of Al-Qaeda and Pak-US relations' organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies, Islamabad. Drawing on his decades– long experience in journalism and extensively writing on the issue of Al-Qaeda in the region, Bergen said that Osama bin Laden had lost relevance even before his death on May 02, 2011. 'There were no large scale protests on his death in Pakistan or elsewhere around the world on Osama demise', he observed. He shared that Osama decision to attack USA on September 11, 2011 was questioned by his confidants, but he chose to go ahead: probably Osama wanted to drag USA in a protracted war in Afghanistan and he succeeded in it. Bergen underlined that though war on terror taxed America heavily, yet the economic cost of this war is far less than the cost of American military's role in World War II and intervention in Vietnam. 'US has achieved significant milestones in war against Al-Qaeda and the most important one to cripple the terrorist organization to a level that it did not mount any attack on US soil so far', he asserted. Regarding Pak-US relations, Bergen underscored that both the countries cannot cooperate in multiple ways and in score of fields. He said that the US always considers Pakistan an important ally and a crucial state in the region and extra-region. He conceded that there is huge misperception about Pakistan among American public and local media is responsible for that. But, he noted that there are grievances on the part of both states, which...

Pakistan Conflict Tracker Monthly Report (March 2012)

Security landscape in Pakistan continued to embroil with persistent incidents of violence during March. Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) regions, the epicenter of fight against terrorism, witnessed major proportion of overall violence in the country. Adding to that, towards the end of the reported month, recurrent ethno-political violence engulfed the biggest city of Pakistan, Karachi, and brought the economic nerve of the country to standstill. The data collected through different sources suggested that 639 people lost their lives in 218 incidents of violence across the country (for details see data sheet). The violent clashes also left 371 people injured across the country. A trail through the data underscores that frequent clashes between militants and security forces, immersed in a violent campaign in FATA and KP regions resulted into the major loss of lives. As noted in pie chart I, militants accounted for almost 50 percent of the total deaths. The second highest number of casualties was of civilians, accounting for 38 percent of the total number. While 12 percent causalities were of security forces and those were mostly recorded in aforementioned insurgency infested areas. Meanwhile, it was noted that a whopping 88 percent of total causalities were of militants and civilians. Furthermore during the current month, three CIA operated drone strikes were also reported in different parts of North or South Waziristan Agency (FATA), resulting in the killing of 33 suspected militants and injuring seven others. During their malicious sabotage campaign to dismantle the state infrastructure, militants blew up 17 schools in different parts of FATA and KP during the course of month. Also, 15 sabotage attacks were reported in parts of Balochistan and Karachi, where miscreants blew up gas pipelines and torched vehicles. A concise look into the instruments of violence suggests that target killing was the major weapon for the violent...

Pakistan Conflict Tracker Weekly Report (March 23-29, 2012)

During the previous week, the violence further escalated as compared to the past three weeks. But, the salient feature of the week was a sudden upsurge in violence in the largest metropolis of Pakistan, Karachi during the last two days of the week: where the killing of a member of an ethnic political party (Muthida Qaumi Movement, MQM) unleashed an appalling cycle of violence in the city. The data collected through different sources suggests that 135 people lost their lives in 45 incidents of violence across the country, and once again it was the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and tribal regions, which witnessed majority of violence during the course of the week (for details see data sheet). The violent clashes also left 58 people injured across the country. Moreover, it were the militants who bore the major burnt, as 62 militants were killed in different incidents, whereas the military-militants– clashes left 43 militants and seven security personnel dead. The second highest number of casualties was of civilians, where 50 civilians were killed and 37 were left injured. The major loss of civilian lives was recorded because of the ferocious wave of target killings throughout the country. Furthermore, the current week, like the previous one, marked no CIA operated drone strikes in any part of North or South Waziristan Agency, FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas). Meanwhile, militants continued their sabotage campaign, blowing up gas supply lines, telephone exchange, community health centre, mobile phone towers and a government boys– primary school in different areas of KP and tribal regions. Ten different sabotage attacks were reported during the course of the week and most these occurred in KP. Raging militancy in KP and FATA again resulted in a major chunk of loss of lives and 37 percent of the total causalities of the current week were the result of recurrent clashes between militants and security forces, especially in the aforementioned areas. A concise look into...

Weekly Data Sheet (March 23-29, 2012)

“Decoding Nexus between Criminal Gangs and Insurgents in Balochistan” organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad

'Decoding Nexus between Criminal Gangs and Insurgents in Balochistan' organized by theCenter for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad Islamabad (Thursday, March 29, 2012): When state institutions begin patronizing crime, how can common citizens feel safe? Worsening of law and order has emerged as the biggest threat to Balochistan because people carrying ID cards allegedly of intelligence agencies are abusing their authority for personal gains. These were the views expressed by speakers and duly sanctioned by the participants at a roundtable discussion forum,'Decoding Nexus between Criminal Gangs and Insurgents in Balochistan' organized by theCenter for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad at its office. National Party of Balochistan's vice president and senator, Mir Hasil Bizenjo termed the failure of law and order situation in Balochistan as the biggest threat to the province. He underlined that people carrying ID cards allegedly of intelligence agencies are abusing their authority for personal, financial and political gains. 'They get involved in all types of crimes from kidnappings to car snatching to drug smuggling', he noted. Dilating upon the apathy of state security apparatus, he mentioned that security forces cannot apprehend any influential criminal because of the nexus between political elite, criminal gangs and agencies. No security agency dares stopping or preventing these people from criminal activities. Thus, they operate with impunity, practically unchecked. 'When state institutions begin patronizing crime, how can common citizens feel safe?' he raised a crucial questions about the intentions of the state. 'State writ is absent in Balochistan. Levies and FC have become ineffective because of the collusion between criminal gangs and politicians–, he lamented. Discussing the prospects of change in Balochistan as a result of new elections, he said that new elections bring relative changes in the province, but it cannot alter the...

"Decoding Nexus between Criminal Gangs and Insurgents in Balochistan" organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad

'Decoding Nexus between Criminal Gangs and Insurgents in Balochistan' organized by theCenter for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad Islamabad (Thursday, March 29, 2012): When state institutions begin patronizing crime, how can common citizens feel safe? Worsening of law and order has emerged as the biggest threat to Balochistan because people carrying ID cards allegedly of intelligence agencies are abusing their authority for personal gains. These were the views expressed by speakers and duly sanctioned by the participants at a roundtable discussion forum,'Decoding Nexus between Criminal Gangs and Insurgents in Balochistan' organized by theCenter for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad at its office. National Party of Balochistan's vice president and senator, Mir Hasil Bizenjo termed the failure of law and order situation in Balochistan as the biggest threat to the province. He underlined that people carrying ID cards allegedly of intelligence agencies are abusing their authority for personal, financial and political gains. 'They get involved in all types of crimes from kidnappings to car snatching to drug smuggling', he noted. Dilating upon the apathy of state security apparatus, he mentioned that security forces cannot apprehend any influential criminal because of the nexus between political elite, criminal gangs and agencies. No security agency dares stopping or preventing these people from criminal activities. Thus, they operate with impunity, practically unchecked. 'When state institutions begin patronizing crime, how can common citizens feel safe?' he raised a crucial questions about the intentions of the state. 'State writ is absent in Balochistan. Levies and FC have become ineffective because of the collusion between criminal gangs and politicians–, he lamented. Discussing the prospects of change in Balochistan as a result of new elections, he said that new elections bring relative changes in the province, but it cannot alter the...