ISLAMABAD, March 13: Uzbekistan has opposed Pakistan's plans to import 1000MW of electricity from Tajikistan through a 750km transmission line through Afghanistan, saying the proposed $6.5 billion project in its present form would be in violation of international laws.

Informed sources told Dawn on Sunday that Uzbekistan's Ambassador in Islamabad Arif Karimov met senior officials of the ministry of water and power last week and handed over his government's 'letter of disapproval' for the proposed project.

He is reported to have said that all the low riparian states --- not only Uzbekistan but Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan too --- were opposed to the project because a mandatory Trans-boundary Environmental Impact Assessment (TEIA) report for the development of Rogun Hydropower project had not been shared by Tajikistan for clearance.

Under the Central Asia-South Asia Regional Energy and Trade (CASA-1000) project, Tajikistan plans to export electricity to Pakistan via a transmission line in Afghanistan. The project also aims at dovetailing another 300MW of electricity export from Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan and Afghanistan at a later stage.

The unusual communication also warned of legal complications for Pakistan in its ongoing case in the UN-constituted International Court of Arbitration (COA) against India against controversial construction of Kishenganga project because India had also not shared its TEIA with Islamabad.

“The position of Uzbekistan on water issues is based on international laws and norms. Without denying the rights of any country to carry out projects, Uzbekistan is urging upper riparian countries to conduct Transboundary Environment Impact Assessment of multipurpose hydropower projects, which will be operated for the CASA-1000,” said an Uzbek letter seen by Dawn.

Tashkent has asked Islamabad to urge countries of the region (Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) to follow international norms on the use of trans-boundary water resources.

“Pakistan's position as potential importer of electricity from the upper riparian countries may be highly instrumental in resolving the water disputes in Central Asia and implementing the regional projects based on peace and consensus”.

It said the TEIA had become a universal compulsion and requirement around the world for projects, especially hydropower that could affect environment in downstream areas. Uzbekistan said the hydropower projects which would provide electricity for the CASA-1000 were located on trans-boundary rivers of Central Asia and so far “the TEIA of these projects are neither shared nor cleared by lower riparian countries”.

It said the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had made mandatory clearance of TEIA by lower riparians in its recent verdict on Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric project case between Hungary and Slovakia.

“We believe that Pakistan being member of International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) ought to check that hydropower project of CASA has not fulfilled the obligations to save environment of lower riparian country laid down by this esteem institution,” said the Uzbek communication, adding the court of Neutral expert in Baglihar Dam case had also followed same guidelines for design of the project spillway.

Uzbekistan's envoy said the proposed transmission line from Tajikistan would cover a distance of 562 kilometres in Afghanistan.

“The point to ponder about is how Afghanistan would assure the safety and reliability of electricity supplied through this trouble spot and essentially most vulnerable part of the globe”.

As an incentive to refrain Pakistan from pursuing the project, Uzbekistan has offered Islamabad to take in hand three hydropower projects of 1315MW capacity on river Swat in which “the Uzbek government and other lower riparian will also consider financial help to start these projects”.

These alternate projects would not only add 1315MW to “your national grid but also will add 2.5 million acres feet of additional water storage capacity”, help curb menace of floods and generate domestic cheap electricity but also avert flood peaks to save Kalabagh, Taunsa, Guddu, Sukkur, Kotri, Jinnah and Chashma barrages.

The CASA-1000 envisages development of Rogun Hydropower station in Tajikistan and supply of about 5.5 billion units of electricity to Islamabad at 5 cents per unit through an extra-high voltage transmission line but all line losses through the 750 kilometres line would be at the cost of Pakistan.