Deepak Kapoor

New Delhi, Dec. 23: Army chief General Deepak Kapoor today visited the Siachen glacier, where a ceasefire is in place since 2002, to review “military preparedness”, senior army sources said.

“General Kapoor was briefed in the base camp and also by Major General V.K. Ahluwalia (commander of the Leh- headquartered 14 Corps). He also flew to the Kumar Post at 16,000 feet,” an army officer said.

Kapoor’s visit to Siachen in the middle of military preparations by both India and Pakistan sends confusing signals. A harsh place even in summer, the Saltoro heights of the glacier are forbidding in winter. Yet, the army chief thought it important to personally assess the threat scenario in Siachen.

The ceasefire along the Actual Ground Position Line in Siachen was declared along with the truce on the Line of Control. It has easily been the most important military confidence-building measure but has been tested more than 30 times this year.

But even after external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said last week that the peace process with Pakistan had been “paused”, the situation on the LoC, where heavy artillery firing was the order of the day before 2002, is mostly peaceful.

The army chief’s visit at this time indicates that there are concerns on how long the ceasefire will last.