India, China reach pact on disengagement in Pangong lake areas in eastern Ladakh: Rajnath Singh

India and China have reached an agreement on disengagement of troops from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Under the agreement, Singh said both sides will cease their forward deployments in a phased, coordinated and verified manner in these areas.

The defence minister assured the House that India has not conceded anything while entering into the disengagement process, adding there are "some outstanding issues" with regard to deployment and patrolling at some other points along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

"I am happy to inform the House today that as a result of our well thought out approach and sustained talks with the Chinese side, we have now been able to reach an agreement on disengagement in the North and South Bank of the Pangong Lake.

"It has also been agreed to convene the next meeting of the senior commanders within 48 hours after the complete disengagement in the Pangong Lake area so as to address and resolve all other remaining issues," he said.

Singh said the agreement reached with the Chinese side for disengagement in the Pangong lake area envisages that both sides will cease their forward deployments in a phased, coordinated and verified manner.

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

"A similar action would be taken in the South Bank area by both sides. These are mutual and reciprocal steps and any structures that had been built by both sides since April 2020 in both North and South Bank area will be removed," Singh said.

Indian and Chinese militaries were locked in a bitter standoff in eastern Ladakh for over nine months.