18 January 2005	Tuesday	07 Zilhaj 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will preside over a meeting here on Tuesday to formally approve a plan seeking appointment of neutral experts by the World Bank to resolve a dispute over construction of Baglihar dam by India on river Chenab in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960.

Informed sources said the ministers for water and power, foreign affairs and law and justice would also attend the meeting, besides the representatives of security agencies, Nespak, Wapda, the Chief Engineering Adviser and Pakistan's Permanent Indus Waters Commission (PCIW).

The sources said a case for submission to the World Bank had been prepared by the authorities of Nespak, PCIW, and the chief engineering adviser in consultation with relevant ministries and security agencies.

The sources said Pakistan had made it clear to the Indian authorities at the end of four-day (January 3-7) talks in New Delhi that further bilateral talks could resume only after immediate suspension of construction work by India on the project. India has repeated through diplomatic channels its offer for further talks on the subject but without suspending the ongoing work or any pre-condition.

The sources said the government had now reached the conclusion that a period of 10 days was enough for the Indians to positively respond to Pakistan's stand but since New Delhi had not shown any flexibility, it was left with the only option of seeking third party arbitration under the provisions of the decades-old treaty, instead of wasting any more time.

Secretary of Water and Power, Ashfaq Mehmood, who led the Pakistan side in New Delhi talks, would not attend the meeting on Tuesday as he has left for Paris on an official assignment. Pakistan's commissioner for Indus Waters, Syed Jamaat Ali Shah, is also abroad and would be represented by his deputy, Shiraz Jameel Memon.