Pak urges India to pull out Siachen troops over environment threats

Pakistan has urged India to pull out its troops from the Siachen Glacier, saying that their presence is a serious threat to the environment.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said the glacier is the largest source of water for Pakistan, which been facing a water crisis for a long time, and blamed Indian forces for disposing items of daily use in the glacier threatening its very existence, the Daily Times reports.

Aziz said India should resolve the dispute on a priority basis to prevent further environmental damage.

Environmentalists said that the glacial retreat on the Himalayas and the Karakorum ranges has accelerated in recent years due to increased human presence.