GAYARI SECTOR TRAGEDY IN SIACHEN AND RESCUE OPERATION

Although Siachen means land of wild roses but in reality this place is barren and icy cold. It has minus 14 to 34 degree temperature in summer and minus 50 in winter season and at minus fifty temperature everything gets collapsed. It was independent place till 1984, and it was not easy to encroach at this place. In April 1984 India suddenly encroached at Siachen and made a military post after displaying their flag at the top mountain of world. Thereafter Pakistan Army also reached there and made camps. Since then India has two third part of Siachen and one third part have been encroached by Pakistan. Pakistan army has occupied Gyand Lapas; it is the place from where Pakistan can keep an eye at Ladakh. Siachen is the toughest war place in the world and therefore no one can go at the crag of Siachen without the oxygen masks; you must have special dress, shoes and helmet.  Even after having all these accessories and preventive measure you can’t spend few seconds there because according to the different studies at minus forty everything gets free-zed.  So, at this place you even can’t complete the natural requirement for instance can’t pass the urine, stool. Because if any part of body gets uncovered it will be removed or damaged very badly. If you expose your finger it will become numb. If you remove your helmet your head and neck will be frozen with hairs. Likewise if any part of your feet get stripped it will also be frozen, and if you walk at forty and fifty degree temperature for some time regularly then your legs do not work and get local anesthesia and doctors have no option except to confiscate it. Continuous usage of oxygen mask can damage the hearing and visual power of human, also your abilities of smell and taste get reduced. Due to the fear of passing urine and stool people never eat anything and they take multivitamins and other steroid drugs for surviving. At Siachen no one can live alive or spend more then twenty days. Therefore every soldier  is deputed there only for twenty days and even among them every third person never return healthy or safe .Either they  become the victim of “snow bite” or they lose some part of body, (ear, nose, hand, leg and etc). Presently so many soldiers of Pakistan Army have lost their body organs in Siachen, they do not eat anything during their deployment at Siachen.

Siachen is very expensive place in the world for war. Pakistan Army spends 15 million every day which is monthly 450 millions and yearly it is 5.5 billion rupees. Similarly Indian Army squander thrice then Pakistan Army, their daily expenditure is 50 millions, monthly 1.5 billion and yearly it is twenty billion. In Siachen; every 3^rd day one Pakistani soldier get martyrdom and every second day one Indian soldier dies. So every year Pakistan loses its 100 soldiers and India loses its 180 soldiers. Since 1984 we have lost 3, 000/- soldiers and India has lost his 5, 000/- soldiers. The strength of Indian soldiers deputed at Siachen is seven thousand only and strength of Pakistani soldiers is four thousand and four hundred only. At minus forty and fifty temperature if any thing or metal get touched to your skin it enters into the organ of body. And for its eradication, it is necessary to remove that certain part of body. Our soldiers go there at their own feet and legs but they return at stature. They never complain or said that we are sacrificing for last 28 years for rest of Pakistan and never ask for any reward. We daily talk about those who die in bomb blasts, we talk about the desisting of NATO supply and Drone strikes. But we never talked about those who got martyrdom even in the peace time in Siachen, or about folks who have been permanently disabled. We never ask to them that since you have return from there how are you spending your life? Do you have any problem? They are the real heroes of Pakistan and its soil. Unfortunately we have forgotten them and their forfeit.  

On Saturday, April 07, 2012 between 0300 AM to 0500 AM in Gayari sector an unfortunate and unexpected incident of land sliding occurred at Battalion Headquarter. This land sliding is one kilometer wide and seventy to eighty feet deep. At that time total 139 soldiers were there including eleven civilians. This incident of land sliding suddenly occurred and whole camp converted into graveyard within seconds. It is the horrible incident of 2012, in which 139 people are under the 80 feet layer of ice. Uncertainty in the forecast and lack of oxygen depicts the rare chances of their endurance but we do hope for miracle. Pakistan Army is dedicated and devoted to evacuate their soldiers from this very fateful incident. Therefore they are working for 24 hours. General Kiyani went there and saw the place where this incident took place. It encourages the morale and emotions of whole Pakistan Army specially those who are deputed in Siachen. Pakistan Army also shifted heavy machinery and equipments for dragging.       

To manage this recent disaster and for future (till the time Siachen conflict is not solved) Pakistan Army must possess:

1. The latest equipment to locate people buried under the snow.

 

2. Such equipment and material for crushing and melting heavy snow.

3. The capability of airlifting such a heavy equipment/machinery on the world’s highest battlefield in the shortest possible time.

4. Installation of a monitoring and warning system for weather forecast and snow sliding.

Pakistan and India should sign an accord and pull out their troops from this dangerous battlefield. Both countries should respect their territories. Through an accord the two can save many lives. The authorities concerned should at least now wake up and stop fighting a pointless war. Nothing advantageous has been gained from fighting over Siachen.The two countries should stop fighting a futile war and value the lives of their soldiers.

This is hard time for Army and nation but why political leaders are still silent? President of Pakistan Mr. Asif Ali Zardari went India at private trip on same day when this incident took place. It was also necessary visit but it could be delayed for one day or for few hours, it would be better if he met with other soldiers in Siachin and then went towards New Delhi. President Zardari donated 1 million dollar to the management of Khuwaja Ajmer Sharif mazar. I do hope he donated this amount from his personal account because Khuwaja Ghareeb esquire will not accept the 95 million (9.5 crore) money of poor nation. I personally feel that President of Pakistan Mr. Asif Ali Zardari must donate a similar kind of check to the families of affected in Siachin incident because they are mujahidin and real heroes of Pakistan who have given everything for this nation and soil.

Other political leaders of Pakistan Mr. Nawaz Sharif, Shujaat Hussain, Moulana Fazal ur Rehman, Asfand Yar Wali and Imran Khan must also visit Siachin with same enthusiasm and zeal for boasting up the morale of soldiers.