STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
Northern Regions and Ladakh
1. In the
Northern area the main Karakoram Range creates a watershed between the Tarim
Basin in Xingjiang autonomous region of China and the Indus River system
flowing through Ladakh, on to Pakistan and hence to the Arabian Sea. In the
West this range bifurcates to join the Pamirs in Tazikhistan and the Hindukush
in Afghanistan. In the East beyond the
famous Karakoram Pass the range dissipates itself into the high plateau of
Western Tibet, South of Kunlun Range. The Northern frontiers of undivided
Indian ran along the high Karakoram and associated ranges, There are two major
routes of ingress across the Karakoram Range into Ladakh. In the East the
so-called Ladakh route encompasses the Karakoram and associate passes. These routes provide ingress into Ladakh from
Hotan (Khotan), Sache (Yarkand) and Kasha (Kashghar).
2. East of the Karakoram Pass, the boundary is
disputed and the area is presently under Chinese occupation. The Aksai Chin road built by the Chinese,
enters this area from Tibet and traverses Soda Plains and Haji Langar before
entering Xingjiang. The Western or the
Gilgit route is now under Pakistani occupation. This approach provides a route
between Gilgit, Hunza and Kasha (Kashghar), over Mintaka, Khunjerab and
Shimshal passes. The famous Karakoram
highway follows this route from Kasha to Gilgit. It is a major artery of
communication from Kasha, going through the Indus valley to Karachi. There is a little doubt the completion of the
Karakoram highway in 1978 marked a fundamental alteration of the strategic
status of the North-Western frontiers of J&K. This route alongwith the
Aksai Chin route provides major avenues of ingress to Chinese forces, into
Ladakh region. Both the above routes, before the construction of the Karakoram
highway, converged at Srinagar. The Ladakh route entered the Kashmir valley
through the Zoji La Pass. From the military point of view both these routes are
of vital importance. The political and strategic importance of Gilgit and
Skardu in the west, and the Karakoram Pass and Aksai Chin in the east as
observation centres to watch Central Asia, Xingjiang and Tibet would be obvious
even to a layman. However India has already lost the western areas to Pakistan
and in the east, Aksai Chin to China. India presently has only a tenuous hold on
the Shyok and Nubra valleys in Turtuk & Siachen in the
Valley/Kashmir Division
3. The main surface route to Ladakh
through Srinagar via the Zojila Pass, remains snowbound for about six months in
the year. The only other route via
Manali-Rohtang Pass is under continuous development & repair, long, rough and desolate. This route traverses several very high passes
which remain open for traffic hardly for four to five months in a year. A convoy takes four to five days to reach Leh
via this route from the logistic bases, as compared to two days journey from
Srinagar to Leh. In other words, apart from the valley, including Srinagar, it is
important to keep the life lines to Leh and Siachen open. The Pir Panjal and
the Siachen ranges are important from our point of view and can not be allowed
to be compromised. The Baramulla gorge,
through which the Jhelum flows from the valley, is the only natural opening
into or out of the valley. These lend importance to areas between Baramulla and Uri.
The old Srinagar-Rawalpindi road also follows this route.
Jammu Region
4. Even a cursory look at the map would
indicate the vital importance of the areas of Jammu and Kathua and their
strategic linkage with the areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur. Similarly Kishtwar, Doda and Bhaderwah
influence and provide ingress into Himachal Pradesh. In the obverse lies the importance of the
Kotli-Mirpur belt in POK, as an area that puts pressure on Pakistan’s capital
region.
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