ISLAMABAD, Feb 5: India on Wednesday agreed to arrange a visit of Pakistani officials to occupied Kashmir for inspection of the controversial Baglihar hydropower project site.

“They have agreed to arrange a visit as soon as possible,” said Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Jamaat Ali Shah in reply to a question after a nine-hour marathon session of the Permanent Indus Commission.

Asked when the proposed visit would take place, Mr Shah said that would depend on political situation and many other things. They (Indians) would go back and make arrangements in the light of the ground situation, he added.

Answering a question whether there would be a joint communique at the conclusion of talks, he replied in negative and said joint communiques were issued at a higher forum like secretary level talks.

The commissioner said the Pakistan side had conveyed its objections over the revised design of the project submitted by India about a year ago and had since maintained this position.

In reply to a question about the atmosphere in which the talks proceeded, Mr Shah said: “You all know very well what could be the atmosphere of talks between India and Pakistan,” but hastened to add, “we feel the atmosphere was good”.

Earlier in December 2001, India on the repeated demands by Pakistan had agreed to allow a PCIW technical team to inspect the project site. Later, it refused to honour the commitment quoting adverse local situation because of troop build-up on the Line of Control and the international borders.

Nevertheless, India never stopped the construction work on the gate-structure of the 450mw power project scheduled to be completed in 2004 despite repeated warnings by Pakistan.

Mr Shah said Pakistan had not yet noticed any change in the flow of Chenab river.

Some experts, however, believe that the gate-structure will reduce Chenab waters from 6,000 to 7,000 cusecs per day in Pakistan.

Pakistan has no reliable source of information except provided by the Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters to know how construction work progressed.

The two sides would meet again at 9am on Thursday to conclude the talks by afternoon. Mr Shah and his counterpart A.C. Gupta would lead Pakistan and India, respectively.

The Permanent Indus Commission was set up under the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 to study and report to the two governments on any problem relating to the development of the rivers’ waters. Timely intervention of Pakistan in mid-1980 had prevented India from constructing Wullar barrage on the Jehlum river.