NEW DELHI: The Indo-Pakistan talks on use of the rivers flowing from India to East Pakistan were reported near deadlock today [May 18].

Pakistan contends that the Farakka Barrage being built on the Ganges to divert water to flush silt from Calcutta port will seriously affect irrigation projects and navigation in East Pakistan. India has further argued that Pakistan is asking for more of Ganges waters than her due since the Ganges basin contains 200,000,000 Indians compared with only 17,000,000 Pakistanis in the short stretch it flows through East Pakistan to the sea.

The Indian delegation agreed today to examine some newly proposed Pakistani projects and the talks are likely to continue for two or three days more. But Indian sources said it was unlikely India would recognise the Pakistani claim for water for these projects.

[Meanwhile, as reported by an agency in Rawalpindi,] a four-member delegation of All-Pakistan Newspapers Society called on Nawabzada Abdul Ghafoor Khan Hoti, Central Commerce Minister, today [May 18] and discussed problems confronting the newspaper industry in the country.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2018