ISLAMABAD, Jan 29: Pakistan-India talks on the Indus Water Treaty 1960 have been delayed due to flight difficulties faced by the Indian team to reach Islamabad on the scheduled dates of Jan 30 to Feb 2.
Riaz Ahmad Khan, Secretary Water and Power and Chief Engineering Adviser to the Government of Pakistan, when contacted by Dawn said the two sides were expected to meet some time later in the first week of February.
He said Pakistan received a communication from the Indian side on Wednesday, saying the visiting team could not get a flight to reach Islamabad due to Dubai festival.
There is no direct air traffic between the two countries since December 2001 and passengers have to take flights via Dubai.
Mr Khan said the Indians were rearranging their flight via Dubai to Karachi, and hoped the talks would be held next week subject to confirmation of seats.
He said there was no immediate need to refer to Neutral Expert for the Indian violations of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 as previously put on notice by Pakistan because India had “agreed to meet and discuss” the dispute at the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) level.
Mr Khan, however, explained that Pakistan would refer the dispute to the Neutral Expert “in case of failure” by India at the PIC level to address Pakistan’s objections.
The Pakistani and Indian commissioners of the PIC, he said, would deliberate upon the single point agenda of Baglihar project, that according to Pakistan was being built by India in violation of the 1960 treaty.
The seven-member Indian delegation, led by its commissioner, A.C. Gupta, is to comprise A.D Bhardwaj, Narinder Singh, Dr Dharam Vir Thareja, Abdul Gani Malik, G. Aranganathan and Chandra Kumar Laldas.
For the first time, the proposed Indian delegation is to be assisted by its external affairs department’s legal expert, Director Legal and Treaties Narinder Sindh. This is also for the first time in 87 meetings of the commission that a Muslim from Indian-held Kashmir, Abdul Gani Malik from Kapwara, will be part of the Indian delegation.
He said no other point would come under discussion because it was a special Baglihar-specific meeting and not an annual PIC moot required under the treaty that normally takes place in May/June.
Pakistan Commissioner on Indus Waters (PCIW) Syed Jamat Ali Shah will lead the Pakistani side, comprising officials of Wapda, flood commission and Nespak, besides Legal Adviser to the Foreign Office Ross Masud.
It is now Pakistan’s term to host the annual PIC meeting. The last PIC meeting was held in New Delhi on May 30 to June 1, 2002. Pakistan had asked India last year to arrange a visit of its technical experts to Indian-held Kashmir to verify the structure of 450mw Baglihar power project that it believed could deprive its Chenab river of over 7,000 cusec water per day.
Pakistan has serious objections over the construction of 450mw Baglihar power project on the Chenab and Kishanganga project on Jhelum by India. New Delhi had promised in 2001 to facilitate the visit of Pakistani experts to the two sites but had not yet honoured the commitment.
Islamabad believed a gate-structure being constructed by India on River Chenab would divert its waters to Pakistan’s disadvantage, senior officials said.
The Chenab river belonged to Pakistan but India could construct run-of-the-river power projects and the ones that did not divert or reduce the water flow.
Under the treaty, Pakistan has exclusive rights to use water of western rivers — Indus, Jehlum and Chenab — while eastern rivers — Ravi, Sutlej and Beas — have been assigned to India.
Brokered by the World Bank that is also a guarantor, the 1960 treaty had helped resolve a severe resource distribution problem in the aftermath of the Partition.
