Experts are of the view that the caretaker government should not involve itself in this issue and that it should leave negotiations for the incoming government. DESIGN: KIRAN SHAHID
Pakistan has decided to ask India again to arrange an inspection of the disputed Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project in occupied Kashmir before the resumption of secretary level talks. The talks had been postponed earlier due to tension between the two countries over ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC).
“India should be asked that the inspection of the Wullar Barrage be made a precondition to secretary level talks between the two countries,” Ministry of Water and Power officials said in a meeting held on Monday. Sources said Ministry of Water and Power Additional Secretary Arshad Mirza had chaired a meeting on water issues involving India to come up with a formal agenda.
Two-day negotiations on the Wullar Barrage between the water secretaries of Pakistan and India, originally scheduled for January 28 and 29, had been postponed amid tensions between the two countries over ceasefire violations along the LoC.
“The Foreign Office will hold a meeting on Tuesday (today) to discuss the dispute over the Wullar Barrage, which will be taken up during upcoming talks between the two countries,” sources said; adding that the water and power ministry will suggest to the Foreign Office that India should be asked again to conduct an on-site inspection before the talks get underway.
Experts are of the view that the caretaker government should not involve itself in this issue and that it should leave negotiations for the incoming government. However, sources said that officials in the water and power ministry are eager to visit India and are in a hurry to come up with a plan of visit before the meeting scheduled at the Foreign office today.
During the most recent bilateral talks on water issues, held in Lahore on March 23 between the Indus water commissioners from both sides, the Pakistani team had asked their Indian counterparts to arrange an inspection of the Wullar Barrage site. The Indian team had said that it was seeking approval from competent authorities for arranging the visit.
Some media reports quoted Indian officials as saying that they prefer to seek international arbitration in the resolution of the issue, which has dragged on for nearly two decades now. An official from Pakistan’s Ministry of Water and Power concurred with that approach, saying that Pakistan would also prefer to go to an international court of arbitration if the two sides fail to reach an amicable settlement and India tries to push ahead with the project.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2013.
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@ Hassan: Maybe you need to have a deeper look at the objections raised by Pakistan and the outcomes of these objections in shape of verdicts by inetrnational arbitrators before crapping here. For example, on Kishanganga Hydro Power Project the verdict was that an upper limit was placed on the amount of water to be diverted to have a minimum downstream impact in the Neelum Valley. Also the dam's height was reduced from 98m to 37m. While on the Baghliar Dam, the pondage capacity was reduced by 13.5%, height of dam structure was reduced by 1.5 meter and power intake tunnels were raised by 3 meters, thereby limiting flow control capabilities of the earlier design.
@Hasan: Where do you work?
I strongly object to the choice of the word 'ask' used in the statement ' India asked to arrange......' You are not in a position to ask or demand, you can only request which can be allowed or tuned down as per our convenience. 'A big nation of 180 million with nuclear power' as you claim to be and want to be recognised as, at least learn to use proper diplomatic language to start with.
how many times do we want to get to international court and get a slap on our face? Its been repeatedly proven that India is not violating any part of the treaty, and the international court and put the verdict in behalf of them... Even for minor changes, which really doesnt matter. This is ridiculous, as we make a fool of ourselves everywhere, where 90% of water problem is because of our mismanagement.