ISLAMABAD, Oct 21: An inter-ministerial meeting convened to discuss the Baglihar power project unanimously decided to request President Gen Pervez Musharraf to use all channels to stop India from building the controversial project as Pakistan could no more expect a bilateral solution to the problem, informed sources said.

The project is being built by India on the River Chanab in violation of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

The meeting, presided over by Water and Power Minister Liaqat Ali Jatoi, decided to brief the president on views expressed at the meeting, the sources said.

The participants were unanimous that Pakistan could not expect a solution to the dispute over Chenab waters through bilateral means, the sources said.

The meeting was attended by senior officials of the ministries of water and power, law and justice and foreign affairs, Wapda chairman, Pakistan's Commissioner on Permanent Indus Commission, Nespak managing-director, Attorney-General of Pakistan and officials of provincial irrigation authorities.

The meeting discussed in detail the pros and cons of moving the International Court of Arbitration (ICA) or seeking the appointment of a neutral expert under the aegis of the World Bank to resolve the Baglihar issue with India and decided to present its viewpoint to the president for a decision.

An official statement said the meeting reviewed latest features of the Baglihar dam and discussed the current status of dialogue with India and other related issues.

"The chairman of the Pakistan Commission for Indus Water briefed the meeting on the Indus Waters Treaty regarding run-of-river plant and history of the Baglihar dam and its current situation," said the statement.

The experts of the commission are of the opinion that Pakistan's case is strong and it should immediately move the International Court of Arbitration to protect the interests of future generations.

They also think that every possible option should be exhausted to stop India from violating the decades-old treaty.

The Foreign Office suggested that a bilateral solution to the dispute was not in sight because India had continued the construction work despite assurances to satisfy Islamabad's concerns in what appears to be a move by New Delhi to gain time to complete the project.

A Foreign Office source said the World Bank had indicated that it was expecting to receive a report of a neutral expert on the project soon.

Repeated calls by Pakistan to suspend work on the project till the resolution of pending issues have been ignored by India. During the June 24 meeting of the two water secretaries, both sides had agreed on a timeframe to resolve the issue bilaterally by November.

In line with the understanding reached between the water secretaries, India was supposed to provide the data to Pakistan by the end of July. However, despite reminders India had not provided the data, the sources said.

At the heart of the dispute is the design of the project which, according to Pakistan, provides for submerged gate spillways and, therefore, Indian control over Pakistani waters in breach of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.

The bilateral water-sharing treaty gives both countries the third-party option in case of a deadlock over any issue.

The Article IX of the treaty provides for settling disputes through neutral experts or arbitration if the disputes cannot be resolved by the two countries.

The 450mw Baglihar hydroelectric plant project was launched in June 1999. The work on the project is said to be in the advanced stage.