Pakistani and Indian top defense officials Thursday in Rawalpindi, twin city of Islamabad, opened talks to explore ways to resolve their dispute over Siachen, the world's highest battlefield.

The Pakistani delegation is headed by Defense Secretary Tariq Wasim Ghazi and the Indian delegation is led by Defense Secretary Ajay Vikram Singh.

Known as rooftop of the world, Siachen poses a unique scenario with the Pakistani and Indian armies facing each other eyeball-to-eyeball since 1984, when the Indian troops intruded the 6,000-meter high glacier. Islamabad insists that India violated the Karachi agreement signed between the two countries in 1949.

The agreement clearly delineated Siachen as Pakistan's area andall the international expedition teams also used to get permission from the Pakistani government to scale different peaks in the area, some Pakistani officials said.

The issue, which remained unresolved even after defense secretaries of the two countries reached an agreement in 1989, was placed on the agenda of the ongoing composite dialogue process initiated early last year. The dispute has claimed hundreds of lives during the last 20 years.

Pakistan wants a pullback of troops to the level of the ceasefire agreement reached between the two countries at the famous Indian hill station Simla in 1972. However, India seeks authentication of deployment on present positions.

Indian Defense Secretary Singh told reporters on arrival on Wednesday night that the delegation had arrived with a positive frame of mind and hoped to move forward.

Regarding Pakistan's demand that India withdraw its troops, Singh said the issue would be discussed during the talks.

Asked if there was a possibility of breakthrough, he said "Why not, when both sides are looking towards progress."

Pakistani Defence Secretary Ghazi said his government was entering talks with hope and both sides would work to resolve the Siachen issue. He added the talks would take place in a positive frame of mind.

Source: Xinhua