22 July 2004	Thursday	04 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

ISLAMABAD, July 21: Parliamentary leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the Senate Mohammad Ishaq Dar has welcomed the consensus reached among provinces on implementation of 1991 Water Accord , and said the provincial chief ministers had endorsed the historical decision of Nawaz Sharif.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, the PML-N senator said the recent agreement between the provinces was a tribute to Mr Sharif's vision and statesmanship.

Mr Dar said the Musharraf government's attempts to deprive Nawaz Sharif of the honour of resolving the 70-year-old dispute had failed.

The regime had been trying from the day one to forge a new formula for the distribution of water among the provinces, but the policy had only resulted in a crisis between the federation and the provinces, he added.

He said right after coming into power in November 1990, Mr Sharif realized the seriousness of the issue and started a round of consultations, resulting in an agreement among the provinces that was finally approved by the Council of Common Interests in April 1991.

The PML-N leader said the accord was fair and practicable in all respects, but Gen Musharraf, "out of his personal grudge against Mr Sharif", tried hard to raise a controversy on the issue.

"All his efforts, however, failed and the Parliamentary Committee on Water Resources had to decide implementation of the 1991 formula in letter and spirit," he added.

KARGIL COMMISSION: The PML-N central information secretary, Siddiqul Farooque, in a statement, said the 45-day prime minister, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, should not try to close Kargil chapter by giving press statements on oath, because oaths were taken only on judicial level.

He said Nawaz Sharif had already declared in his statement of June 12, 2000, that he was prepared to testify on oath before a judicial inquiry commission as to how the army chief damaged national interests with Kargil operation. He said Chaudhry Shujaat was a member of the Musharraf team and as such was "compelled to speak for him."