March 14, 2003	Friday	Muharram 10, 1424

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SRINAGAR, March 13: The head of occupied Kashmir’s government said on Thursday he was not in favour of scrapping the Indus Water Treaty between Pakistan and India.

The treaty, signed in 1960, prevents either country constructing huge dams on rivers that could hamper the free flow of water into each other’s territory.

There have been demands by politicians in the held state to scrap the treaty as it prevents it from constructing dams for irrigation and power plants on three rivers that flow down to Azad Kashmir from occupied Kashmir.

But Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed said the demand was not feasible.

“We don’t want to increase tension between India and Pakistan in view of already strained relations of the two neighbours,” he added.

“India is a responsible nation and due to international commitment it may not be possible for it to ask for scrap of the treaty.”

Sayeed said his government would seek compensation for the held state for losses suffered because of the treaty.

He said he would make a strong plea to New Delhi to ask Islamabad to allow the Srinagar government to construct a water barrage in the northern region of the held state.

“It would help (held) Kashmir to revive a navigational transport system and increase (water) storage capacity for the benefit of the people,” he said.

Mehboob Beg, a legislator from the National Conference party, demanded compensation from both India and Pakistan.

“The treaty should be scrapped but if it was not possible, the (held) state should be compensated for it,” he said. —AFP