Why the dispute over Indian army help?

By Jill McGivering BBC News, Delhi

India has sent relief aid like blankets and tents to Pakistan

Assertion and denial.

Pakistani officials are vehemently rejecting reports from India that Indian soldiers crossed the Line of Control in the disputed territory of Kashmir to help Pakistani troops repair their damaged bunkers.

The reports came from the Indian army which says it was invited across the Line of Control by Pakistani troops.

The dispute has fuelled speculation about how much India and Pakistan are prepared to cooperate on relief efforts for the earthquake victims in the Kashmir region.

This is a deeply sensitive issue and both India and Pakistan are adamant that their versions of events are correct.

Emotionally charged

The Indian army initially said that Indian soldiers crossed the Line of Control, dividing Indian and Pakistan administered Kashmir, to help Pakistani troops rebuild some of their bunkers after they had been sleeping in the open in increasingly cold temperatures.

The army later issued a clarification saying that its troops had crossed the line, but only to lend tools to the Pakistani soldiers.

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Kashmir dispute

The story has been given some prominence in the Indian media, even making the headlines in some cases.

But Pakistani officials say the incident never happened - "pure fabrication" is the verdict of Pakistan's military spokesman, Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan.

The idea of Indian troops crossing the Line of Control to help soldiers on the other side is certainly emotionally charged.

Several Indian analysts have commented that if the situation were reversed and Delhi were being offered help from the Pakistani military in Indian Kashmir, they too would be unlikely to accept

For decades, it's been a fortified frontline and the scene of regular clashes.

Since the launch of the current peace process, tensions across the Line of Control have reduced, helped by better communications being established.

But even now, there is still a long way to go.

Pakistan has accepted relief from India, like blankets and tents, but is still refusing an offer of Indian military helicopters.

The status and performance of the military is a matter of national pride on both sides.

Images of Indian troops on Pakistani-administered territory, helping local people, would be politically embarrassing for Islamabad.

It is also unclear what the strategic loss might be if Indian troops were given access to areas under Pakistani control.

Although this latest peace process has held so far, its future is still far from assured.

The difficulty for Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is weighing the cost of that choice - in terms of politics on the one hand and the welfare of survivors on the other.

Several Indian analysts have commented that if the situation were reversed and Delhi were being offered help from the Pakistani military in Indian Kashmir, they too would be unlikely to accept.