ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: A nine-member Pakistani delegation headed by the water and power secretary will leave for New Delhi on Jan 3 for the final round of talks on the contentious Baglihar hydropower project, it is learnt.
The two-day talks will begin on Jan 4. The delegation will include Indus Waters Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah, technical experts as well as foreign ministry's director-general for South Asia and its legal adviser.
Islamabad gave a final notice to New Delhi at the recently-concluded secretary-level talks, stating that it would seek the World Bank intervention if India failed to convene a meeting in the first week of January to address Pakistan's concerns on the Baglihar dam.
Pakistan maintains that the design of the Baglihar dam, being constructed by India on the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir, violates the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan is determined that it would approach the World Bank if the issue is not resolved in a fair manner at the forthcoming meeting. The World Bank has brokered the water treaty and also stands as its guarantor.
The treaty gives both the countries the third-party option in case of a deadlock over any issue. Article IX of the treaty provides for settling disputes through neutral experts or arbitration if they cannot be resolved between the two waters commissioners.
Asked if Pakistan would be willing to accommodate yet another Indian request for extension of time at the Jan 4 meeting, a senior official said: "It would be strictly contingent upon immediate stoppage of construction work on the project by India."
The decision to have one last meeting on the issue was reached at the Nov 24 meeting between Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in New Delhi where the issue was raised by the latter.
Prime Minister Aziz acceded to the Indian request for another meeting to resolve the dispute bilaterally, making it clear that it would be the last chance for India to address Pakistan's concerns.
Initially, Pakistan had proposed that the final round of talks on the Baglihar dam should be held on Dec 6, but India did not agree to it and suggested instead that it should be held towards the end of the month after Pakistan had been provided the project-related data in mid December. However, Pakistan proposed that the meeting should be held at the same time but India did not agree to the proposal.
The data was provided to Pakistan in mid December, but water experts found it deficient. According to the understanding reached between the two sides earlier this year, India was supposed to provide the data in July.
The main dispute was the design of the hydroelectric project, which, according to Pakistan, provides for submerged gated spillways, and, therefore, gives India a control over Pakistani waters in breach of the water treaty.
Pakistan's main concern is that the gated structure would provide India a capability to manipulate flow of water to Pakistan's disadvantage. One serious consequence is that it would allow India the capability to cause acute water shortages in Pakistan. Technical experts warn it could deprive Pakistan of up to 8,000 cusecs of water per day.
India has been dragging its feet on the Baglihar issue since May 1999 when Pakistan first objected to its design. India has ignored Pakistan's repeated demands that it suspend work on the project till the issue is settled.