LAHORE, Nov 29: Pakistan and India on Monday set a timeframe of three months to solve the Kishan-Ganga water problem and hold the next meeting on the issue by mid-January 2005 at New Dehli.

The agreement came in the first meeting on the issue between the Indus Commissioners of both sides, which ended here on Monday after two-day exhaustive discussion. Though both sides reportedly stuck to their respective positions, they agreed to solve the problem within a certain period of time.

Commenting on the setting up of a timeframe, Jamaat Ali Shah, the Indus Commissioner of Pakistan, termed it a success for both sides but credited Islamabad for pressing for a timeframe and getting the Indian side conceding it. "The Pakistani side stressed for a certain period of time as it could not allow the problem to linger on, and the Indian team agreed."

Both sides also agreed to meet again by mid-January for further discussion on the issue and try to hammer out a solution. An insider claimed that the visitors kept on insisting that under the Indus Basin Water Treaty, India had a right to divert water of Kishan Ganga river, which Pakistan believed it couldn't.

The hosts also raised some objections to the design of the project and sought certain clarifications which India agreed to provide during the next meeting. The problem between the two countries arose when India decided to build a dam on Kishan Ganga river that originates from the occupied Kashmir.

The proposed site for dam is near Kanzalwan - a town from where the river enters Azad Kashmir. The Indian plan includes storing of water and tunnel it to the Wuller Lake where it is constructing a 800mw power house.

Pakistan maintains that under the treaty India can store water but it cannot divert it, because the Indus Basin Treaty charges it with releasing as much water downstream as it stores in a dam.

Any diversion will violate the provisions of the treaty. Any diversion will badly affect hydro power development plans (Neelum-Jehlum project) and agriculture in Azad Kashmir area.

The Indian side is of the view that Pakistan is not developing its hydro resources anyway and should not get so serious about its objections. In addition to raising treaty issues, Pakistan also raised objections about the design of dam and asked India to remove its doubts before proceeding further.