17 January 2005	Monday	06 Zilhaj 1425

ISLAMABAD, Jan 16: The Pakistan Muslim League-N Information Secretary, Siddiqul Farooque, has accused the government of compromising on national interests and said that the construction of Baglihar Dam on River Chenab by India would endanger Pakistan's agriculture, the main segment of the economy.

Speaking at a news conference here on Sunday, the PML-N information secretary said the decision to build the Baglihar dam had also exposed India's back tracking on accords.

Mr Farooque said accused President Gen Pervez Musharraf of silently helping India in the dam's construction. He claimed that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had taken a strong position on the Wullar Barrage issue due to which India was unable to continue its construction.

"The history of national catastrophes, right from the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 to the construction of Baglihar Dam, provided irrefutable evidence of the incompetence, lack of vision and compromising national interests by military dictators as compared to patriotism and vigilance of elected leaders.

He said the first military dictator was unable to understand the Indian intentions of depriving Pakistan of water. While the Indus Water Treaty recognized Pakistan's exclusive right to waters of the rivers Chenab, Jhelum and Sindh, Field Marshal Ayub Khan ignorantly accepted inclusion of the proviso allowing India to build power plants on these rivers.

He said though the treaty stipulated that Indian dams should not affect unhindered flow of waters to Pakistan, the procedure for arbitration on Pakistan's complaints was so lengthy and complex that the stoppage of construction on an objectionable dam in time became almost impossible. He said the democratic governments that came to power after Ayub Khan were fully aware of Indian designs about Pakistan.