Islamabad, April 19: Pakistan army chief general Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Wednesday underlined the need for resolving all disputes, including Siachen , with New Delhi and said his country believes in "the doctrine of peaceful coexistence with its neighbours , especially India''.
Kayani said Siachen "consumes a mammoth portion of national exchequer that must be diverted to the people of the two countries' '. He spoke after surveying rescue operations in Gayari near Siachen, where over 100 soldiers remained buried in an avalanche on April 7.
"The military standoff in the frozen high mountains of Siachen not only threatens the environment but is also an enormous burden on the taxpayers of both the neighbours,'' he said.
His comments come days after the leader of the largest opposition party - Pakistan Muslim League (N) - Nawaz Sharif called on Islamabad to take the lead in withdrawing troops from Siachen.
Kayani said, "The world knows why we sent our troops to Siachen. It was India which deployed its troops at the Glacier in 1984. We only mounted a natural tactical response,'' he said. "We are manning the border on this outpost in the line of duty.
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