ISLAMABAD, April 6: The two-day defence secretary-level talks between Pakistan and India on the Siachen issue began in Rawalpindi on Friday with no signs of a breakthrough as the Indian delegation stuck to its old position of authentication of the existing position of troops on the glacier.

This came as a major surprise and disappointment to Pakistan after the positive statements by the top Indian leadership predicting tangible progress on Siachen. Also, given the clear indications that the detailed ‘package’ plan proposed by Islamabad at the foreign secretary-level talks in November 2006 for a settlement of the issue, was being considered by New Delhi.

Under the ‘package’ plan which incorporates a ‘schedule of disengagement’, it is believed that the Indian concern will be addressed because it will record the present position of its troops.In January, while referring to the plan, Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri had declared at a joint press conference here with his Indian counterpart that it addressed concerns of both the sides.

However, on Friday, the Indian delegation was unwilling to consider it till the authentication of the current position of troops, informed sources told Dawn. The thrust of the Pakistan side was on the implementation of the 1989 bilateral agreement on Siachen and the authentication of future positions.

According to sources privy to the meeting, the Indian delegation showed no sign of flexibility and merely reiterated New Delhi’s old demand of first authenticating the current location of troops.

Pakistan, however, ruled it out on the premise that it would amount to endorsing the Indian aggression. Pakistan maintains that India forcibly occupied the Siachen heights in 1984 in violation of the 1949 Karachi Agreement and the 1972 Simla Accord.Pakistan made it clear that if the Indian demand was to stake a claim on Siachen through the authentication process, that was unacceptable. At the heart of it is the concern that authentication of the Indian occupied position would become the Line of Control.

India wants Pakistan to authenticate the 110-kilometre long Actual Ground Position Line on the Siachen glacier.

Discussions on the first day were wrapped up in just two hours with the Pakistan side posing certain questions to the Indian delegation. The two delegations will continue discussions on Saturday morning after which a joint press statement would be issued.

A dramatic change in the Indian position overnight is unlikely given that the delegation has come with a specific brief from the cabinet’s committee on security, headed by the Indian prime minister, which met on the eve of the talks.

The nine-member Indian delegation is headed by defence secretary Shekhar Dutt and the Pakistan side is led by defence secretary Kamran Rasul. Both the officials were assisted by their respective directors-general, military operations. Senior officials of foreign and defence ministries from both sides were also present. Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik is also here for the talks.

After the talks on Friday, the Indian delegation called on Defence Minister Rao Sikander at the Defence Ministry in Rawalpindi where the talks were held.