Islamabad- The Chairman of the Senate Defence Committee, Senator Mushahid Hussain, who returned Tuesday from a visit to Siachen with members of his Committee, told media outside the Parliament House that the time has come for both Pakistan and India to treat an issue of promoting human security and protecting the environment to face the consequences of Climate Change, rather than a needless waste of human lives, money and material in the name of national security.
Senator Mushahid Hussain proposed a three-point plan for peace in Siachen and termed Siachen as “a pointless conflict of the last 30 years, waste of human and material resources”. He called for Demilitarization of Siachen, withdrawal of forces of both Pakistan and India; Conversion of Siachen into a Peace Park where mountain tourism and expeditions could be encouraged under the auspices of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and World Tourism Organization (WTO).
Collaboration between Pakistan and India to prepare a joint strategy for preserving the environment and combat the consequences of climate change and global warming in the Siachen region whose impact would be felt by 1/5th of humanity that reside in South Asia. We should learn a lesson from the Gyari tragedy, which resulted in loss of 140 precious, lives, regarding the futility of the Conflict in Siachen.
Senator Mushahid Hussain urged that Siachen be no longer treated as an issue of national security by India and Pakistan rather this is more an issue of human security and the need to protect and preserve the environment which is adversely affected by the Indian occupation, particularly the cutting and melting of ice using chemicals to construct military barracks. He also said that 90% of the deaths on Siachen were due to weather, which can be even minus 50 during the peak winter season.
Senator Mushahid Hussain said that Pakistan and India were both Asian countries and nuclear neighbors and in the 21st century, which is Asian Century, the time had come for both countries to collaborate on such areas as environment, climate change, global warming.