Islamabad sets Dec 6 for talks on Baglihar: Decision conveyed to India
By Qudssia Akhlaque
ISLAMABAD, Nov 27: Pakistan has proposed Dec 6 as the date for a crucial round of talks with India on the Baglihar hydro-power project in a final bid to settle the dispute bilaterally, diplomatic sources said.
Pakistan's stand is that the design of the Baglihar dam, being constructed by India on Chenab river in occupied Kashmir, violates the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.
Islamabad formally conveyed the date to New Delhi on Saturday through diplomatic channels. Indian Deputy High Commissioner T.C.A Raghavan was called by the foreign office in the afternoon and informed about the date, sources said.
The meeting to be held in Islamabad will be attended by Indus water commissioners, foreign ministry officials, water and power secretaries and technical experts from both sides, sources said.
The decision to have one last meeting on the issue was arrived at the Nov 24 meeting between Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Aziz took a tough line on the issue and told Mr Singh that it was a 'very serious' matter for Pakistan. To a request for bilateral talks to settle the dispute, Mr Aziz said meetings had been going on since late nineties but had produced no result. The prime minister finally acceded to the request, making it clear that it would be the last chance for India to settle the issue bilaterally.
The government is clear that if India fails to address Pakistan's concerns at the proposed meeting, it would immediately seek the World Bank's intervention. The Bank had brokered the treaty and stands as its guarantor.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has already briefed the concerned World Bank officials in Washington on the matter but has not yet sent formal notification for appointment of a neutral expert, diplomatic said.
Pakistan's main concern is that the gated structure would provide India the capability to manipulate flow of water to Pakistan's disadvantage.
