29 July 2004	Thursday	11 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD, July 28: The two-day (July 29-30) Pakistan-India secretary-level talks on controversial Wullar Barrage on the River Jhelum start here on Thursday as part of the ongoing eight-point composite dialogue between the two countries.

Pakistan's seven-member team is led by water and power secretary Ashfaq Mehmood and comprises senior officials of the Foreign Office, and Pakistan's Commissioner for Indus Waters, Nespak, Wapda and Flood Commission.

The 10-member Indian delegation is led by secretary for water resources V.K. Dhuggal and comprises Indian commissioner for Indus Waters and other relevant officials. The Indian delegation was received here on Wednesday night by additional secretary for water and power Riaz Ahmad Khan.

A senior official of the water and power ministry told Dawn that it was a positive development that secretary level talks on the Wullar Barrage were resuming after six years as part of the composite dialogue in view of improving bilateral relations between the two countries. He hoped that two side would start the discussions with open minds for a positive outcome.

The secretary-level talks on the subject were held in 1998. India had started in 1984 construction of around 439 feet high and 40-feet wide barrage on outfall of river Jhelum with a storage capacity of around 0.3 million acres feet without informing Pakistan as required under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.

Pakistan came to know about the development in 1986 and took strong exception to the violation of the treaty. Pakistan threatened to take the issue to the international court which compelled India to suspend the construction work in 1987. The two sides have so far held a total of 10 rounds of talks on the subject.

Pakistan says that the project is in blatant violation of the 1960 waters treaty and could reduce its share of the Jhelum waters and cause material loss to its crops amounting to millions of dollars per year and hydel power production capacity and hence should be scrapped.

India says the project is of navigational nature and non- consumptive as it calls it Tulbul Navigation Project and contends that it is outside the ambit of the treaty.

Informed sources said Pakistan's Commissioner for Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) had advised the government that it should insist on implementation of the 1960 waters treaty in letter and in spirit and without going for negotiated settlement. After the talks, the Indian delegation would leave for Lahore on Friday (July 30) evening and fly off to New Delhi on July 31.

INDIAN SECRETARY ARRIVES: Indian secretary for water resources V.K. Dhuggal has said the two-day talks are expected to be final and result-oriented and hoped that a final settlement of the issue would be reached and announced at the end of this round.

Talking to reporters on his arrival at the Islamabad International Airport leading a nine-member delegation, he said the talks were of technical and sensitive nature involving engineering factors.

He said the talks were being held at the level of water secretaries who would ensure its announcement themselves. He said since the talks involved technical and sensitive issues, his side had come with full preparation of its case. He said he had received positive indications from the Pakistani side to hold positive discussions with open mind to reach an amicable and final outcome.

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)