October 16, 2003	Thursday	Sha'aban 19, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 15: A three-member Pakistani experts team will be visiting India from Oct 19-23 for an on-site physical inspection of the contentious Baglihar Power Project being constructed on river Chenab in occupied Kashmir.

“Dates (for the inspection tour) have been finalized and travel documents of the team members are being processed,” a senior diplomatic source told Dawn on Wednesday. He said the inspection visit “is Baglihar-specific” and had nothing to do with the general inspection of other rivers and tributaries.

The delegation led by Pakistan’s commissioner for Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) Syed Jamat Ali Shah would comprise general manager Wapda Dr Azrar-ul-Haq and general manager Nespak Bashir Ahmad Qureshi.

New Delhi communicated to Islamabad its decision to arrange the visit of Pakistani experts late last month just ahead of the expiry of the notice period Pakistan had given to India in May this year to fix dates for the visit and to stop work at the project site until the dispute was resolved.

Pakistan had set Sept 30 as the deadline, making it clear to India that if it failed to fix dates of the visit by Pakistani team it would approach the World Bank for appointment of neutral experts to resolve the dispute.

Other water related issues between Pakistan and India including Kishanganga project on river Jhelum would be discussed in the annual meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission to be held by end of May next year in New Delhi.

Pakistan would refer the dispute to the World Bank for the appointment of neutral experts in case the technical expert team is not satisfied with the structure of the project.

The bilateral water-sharing Indus Waters Treaty gives both the countries the option of calling third-party intervention in case of a deadlock over any issue. Article IX of the Treaty provides for settling disputes through neutral experts or arbitration if bilateral options are exhausted.

The World Bank brokered the Treaty between the two rivals in 1960 for water sharing and stands as its guarantor. Under the treaty either of the two parties can seek the World Bank intervention.

India and Pakistan are in serious dispute for more than four years now on the 450-MW Baglihar Hydropower Project on the Chenab which Islamabad believes is being constructed by New Delhi in violation of the 1960 treaty.