China to return to Pangong lake Finger 8, no patrolling in disputed area: Rajnath

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ India and China have reached an agreement on disengagement in the north and south banks of Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the Upper House of Parliament on Thursday making it clear that India has not conceded anything during these talks.

Chinese troops will move back to Finger 8 and Indian troops will pull back to the Dhan Singh Thapa post between Finger 2 and 3 of the north bank of Pangong Tso, said Singh adding that there would be temporary moratorium on military activities, including patrolling to the traditional areas.

The mountain spur jutting into the lake is referred to as Finger in military parlance. The north bank of the lake is divided into 8 Fingers. India claims its territory till Finger 8 but China breached and came up till Finger 4.

The minister said: “The Chinese side will keep its troop presence in the North Bank area to the east of Finger 8. Reciprocally, the Indian troops will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3.”