The gospel for the second Sunday of Easter describes how fear kept the disciples behind locked doors and distrust kept Thomas from believing. An avalanche that buried 138 soldiers and staff at a Pakistani military base in a remote Himalayan region has put a spotlight on what critics say is the world's most pointless military deployment: two poverty-wracked nations who because of mutual fear and distrust are engaged in a costly standoff over an uninhabitable patch of mountain and ice.

A huge wall of snow crashed into Pakistan’s Siachen Glacier military installation high in the mountains in disputed Kashmir early last Saturday morning, smothering an area one square kilometer wide. Harsh weather conditions have hampered search efforts, and while more than 450 rescuers are working in sub-zero temperatures at the site, at an altitude of around 13,000 feet, experts said there is little chance of finding any survivors at this point.

The northern part of Kashmir region is contested by Pakistan and India and the main source of tension between the nuclear-armed rivals who have fought three wars since 1947. The conflict over Siachen began in 1984 when India occupied the heights of the 49-mile long glacier, fearing Pakistan wanted to claim the territory. Islamabad deployed troops in response. A 2003 cease-fire largely ended skirmishes on the glacier, where troops have been deployed as high as 20,000 feet, but both armies remain camped there.

Analysts say resolving the Siachen situation should be possible before attempting to resolve the much more difficult conflict over Kashmir. Because no one lives in the region and it is of no strategic value, a joint or even unilateral withdrawal from one side could break the logjam.

Each country spends many millions of dollars to maintain troops in the remote sector. "We should do joint research in the area on how to stop the glacier melting," said Imtiaz Alam, the head of the South Asian Free Media Association, which promotes regional peace. "Make it a peace park instead of wasting money."

Sources: Articles by Chris Brummit for the Associated Press and Nasir Jaffry for Agence France Presse