Originally published in teh online edition of Times of India on Feb 9, 2016.
AMRITSAR: Following the tragic death of nine Indian soldiers in an avalanche in Siachen, an Indo-Pak peace group has appealed to the prime ministers of both India and Pakistan to declare the Siachen area a peace park and instead of a battleground convert Siachen into an Indo-Pak joint laboratory for glacial research.
While talking to TOI Devika Mittal, Convenor (India) Aaghaz-e-Dosti told TOI on Monday that Siachen dispute happened due to lack of adequate dialogues between the two countries."It can be resolved by both governments together. Also, if it will be resolved, it will not only save lives of soldiers, but also economy and glacier environment".
She said earlier also many appeals of civil societies were launched to governments of India and Pakistan to declare Siachen as Peace Park and start demilitarization of both armies from there.
Aliya Harir (Convener)Pakistan Aaghaz-e-Dost said, "Both countries together can set up a jointly operated laboratory for glacial research in Siachen.This will be more fruitful in view of the objective that a place of conflict can be known as a place from where people are working for global challenges" she said.
Founder, Aaghaz-e-Dosti Ravi Niteshsaid that in view of many issues of conflict between the two countries such as Kashmir, Sir Creek, Siachen and others, this was also an opportunity to both sides of governments as they could find it important to start resolving the Siachen, where resistance from both sides was probably the least and therefore moving on this issue might pave the strong way of resolving other conflicts and will act as confidence building measure between the relations of two countries.
He further said that though the citizens of both countries were proud upon their armies and conveyed their best wishes to them, but at the same time, these soldiers were victims of the conflict between two countries and their precious lives could be saved through political decisions and dialogues and on mutual agreement.
