Updated on
Summary More soldiers have died from the harsh weather conditions there than in combat.
Top defence officials from India and Pakistan are holding talks in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi on the contested Siachen glacier.Pakistans army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani recently said both sides should pull out.His remarks came after 139 people, including 125 Pakistani soldiers, were buried by an avalanche in the region.The Pakistani side is headed by Defence Secretary Nargis Sethi while the Indian delegation is led by her counterpart Shashikant Sharma.Ahead of Mondays talks, Indias Defence Minister AK Antony said people should not expect any major breakthrough at the meeting.Do not expect any dramatic announcement or decision on an issue which is very important for us, especially in the context of national security... You cannot expect a dramatic announcement from one discussion, he told reporters. Kashmir has been partitioned between India and Pakistan since 1947.Failure to agree on the status of the territory by diplomatic means has twice brought India and Pakistan to war.The Siachen glacier is known as the worlds highest battlefield, and soldiers have been deployed at heights of up to 22,000 ft (6,700m) above sea level.
