Kishanganga Dam: How ‘permanent’ is the stay order?
The media in Pakistan heralded the interim ‘stay order’ on the Kishanganga Dam project, stipulated by the International Court of Arbitration (ICA), but the media across the border chose to focus on the fine print.
“India can continue all but permanent works on Kishanganga: ICA,” read The Hindu’s headline.
“India can ‘continue with all works’ related to the Kishanganga hydro-electric project in Jammu and Kashmir except any permanent work on the riverbed that may inhibit restoration of the river’s full flow,” the paper quoted ICA’s ruling as implying. Quoting the ruling, The Hindu said: “While proceedings continued at the Court, it “is open to India to continue with all works relating to the Kishanganga Hydro-Electric Project” except “any permanent works on or above the Kishanganga-Neelum riverbed at the Gurez site that may inhibit the restoration of the full flow of that river to its natural channel” after the final verdict.”
Furnishing details of what India may proceed to do, the paper added: “The ruling stated that India “could proceed with the construction of the sub-surface foundations” of the dam, “erect temporary cofferdams and operate the by-pass tunnel it has said to have completed”, “temporarily dry out the riverbed of the Kishanganga-Neelum at the Gurez valley” and “excavate the riverbed”.”
When contacted, the office of Kamal Majeedullah, adviser to the prime minister on water and power, said it is not permitted to issue any statements regarding the Kishanganga Dam.
This, said a spokesperson for the office, was a requirement of confidentiality under the treaty and the procedural order of the court of arbitration.
“The information released on Saturday was agreed between the parties and thus permitted by the court,” the spokesperson told The Express Tribune.
However, the office did criticise the “controversy’’ created by the media, which it said stemmed from a lack of understanding of the legal issues.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2011.
COMMENTS (19)
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@Doctor: "Let’s stop living in reality." Pakistanis are already doing that!
@narayana murthy: "Fighting and proving physical superiority makes you brave." Not true! They only spout out empty bombast. They rush to start a fight without calculating the odds and thinking out the consequences ("One Pakistani soldier is equal to ten Indian ones"- Field Marshal Ayub Khan) and then they lose (And, the Field Marshal is sacked). So, where did they prove their "physical superiority"?
@FAZ
This is exactly the problem with Pakistan and Pakistanis. People like you!
People like you believe that asking to stop a war is an act of cowardice. Fighting and proving physical superiority makes you brave.
This exact thought process caused you to wage 4 wars and lose all of them.
One crucial point everyone is missing.
Why can't Pakistan do what India does - analyzing a news threadbare, so the audience can have their own perspective, instead of giving a perspective?
Has any Pakistani newspaper analuzed this news like what was analyzed in Indian media?!!!
Pakistani news anchors are busy ranting about gaza-ul-hind, ummah, jambooriyath, awam, Islam, Sunnah, Hindu zionism....These rantings are just that, they are never discussions.
@Diogenes:
Infact, this was not court decision at all. India and Pakistan agreed to do this and the court just approved their agreement. . This was not a court order, it was a compromise reached by both India and Pakistan. I think the reproting in Pakistan lacks insight, always.
India is not doing anything about its farmers extracting too much groundwater. Luckily its soil fertility is going down fast (another matter Indian government is ignoring), so it will have less use for this water!. "about 100 million hectares — or 70% — is heading down a path where it will be incapable of supporting farming." http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-07-12/news/297653981soils-farmers-cereal-production India’s soil crisis: Land is weakening and withering Pakistanis will get a reprieve due to internal Indian shortcomings. Also, wait till India faces same behavior with China. It will not have leg to stand on. Violating an agreement means its agreements are not worth the paper its written on.
Thank you for publishing the truth ET. We must stop seeing everything as "Anti-Pakistan". When there is a drought, we blame India for holding water. When there is a flood, we blame them for not holding the water. India is not violating the treaty and is actually taking less water than they are allowed to - go read Wikipedia for independent, non-Indian analysis.
Let's stop living in reality.
it seems ET people actually read reader's comments
@jamal: India has more muslims than Pakistan. Whole world can not be wrong always. Pakistan should start looking at themselves. You guys cant be in denial mode all the time.
"Rare Victory" Vs "Fine print".all appearing in this paper in course of one day. Looks like the ball that took the wicket turned out to be "no ball".
@Shehzad Baloch: Congratulations, Balochistan would be a free nation.
This is hilarious. The articles which stated, a few days earlier, "ICA prohibits work on Kishanganga Dam" had commentors crowing about justice and fairness and the power of the law. And when it turns out that the order has said that India is allowed to do any construction which cannot be reversed in case the final order finds the dam illegal, the first comment is that the judgement is an anti-Muslim, anti-Pakistan conspiracy.
Please dont spoil the celebrations in Pakistan...there is so little cheerful news anyway!
The next set of wars will be over water and not oil...
The anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan West will once again support India to violate the treaties it signed up with Pakistan. They want to crush Pakistan in every way.