Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will arrive in Pakistan on July 14 on the invitation of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi for bilateral talks scheduled to take place on July 15, the foreign office confirmed on Monday.
The paper quoted sources in the government as saying that India has sent a four-member team to Pakistan, comprising officials from the Water Resources Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs.
Accusing India of breaching the provisions of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty by diverting River Jhelum’s water for its Kishenganga hydel power project, Pakistan sought international arbitration in May this year after failing to resolve the issue bilaterally for over two decades.
TOI reported that under the provisions of the treaty, three umpires, including a Chairman, will be appointed before the court of arbitration is set up to decide on the issue.
Both countries agreed on international arbitration following a dispute over how to finalise the three neutral umpires to supervise the legal battle between the two sides in a court of arbitration. If they fail to have a consensus on umpires, the decision will be made through a draw by the World Bank, the UN and some other institutions.
Foreign Office spokesman while confirming the arrival of Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to Pakistan said, “We are hopeful that the July 15 meeting would help move the process forward allowing the two countries to resolve issues of mutual concern and to promote cooperation in South Asia as a whole.”
The spokesman said, “I think there is realization on both sides that Pakistan and India need to move forward and by not talking to each other neither country would gain.”
Referring to the Jammu and Kashmir issue, he said, “We are indeed concerned at the worsening human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir which has taken lives of several young people including a nine-year old boy.” “We reiterate our solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and will continue extending full diplomatic and moral support to their legitimate cause and struggle for self-determination,” the spokesperson added.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi took the members of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security into confidence at a special briefing regarding the Pakistan-India relations and forthcoming talks. Agencies
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2010.
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