Pakistan News And Discussion-9

[Naresh]

[center]<b>WB’s decision upholds Pakistan’s viewpoint on design of Baglihar Dam</b> <!--emo&tupid--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pakee.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pakee.gif' /><!--endemo-->[/center]

<b>ISLAMABAD, Feb 13 (APP) : Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Saleem Saifullah Khan Tuesday said the decision by a neutral expert upheld Pakistan’s viewpoint that design of the Baglihar Dam was not in conformity with the Indus Basin Water Treaty.</b>

In a statement issued here, he said Pakistan had raised four points against the design of the Baglihar Dam and the WB accepted three of them. <!--emo&:liar liar--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/liar.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='liar.gif' /><!--endemo-->

The Minister said the free board for the dam was excessive and provided capability to India for raising artificially the water level in the operating pool above the full pondage level.

He said the location of intake for the power plant was not at the highest level as required in accordance with the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty.

Salim Saifullah said Pakistan had lodged a strong protest when India started the construction work on the Baglihar Dam without addressing the Pakistan’s concerns.

The Minister said the President and the Prime Minister had also raised the matter with the Indian Prime Minister during their visits to India in 2005.

As bilateral negotiations between the two countries were not making any headway while the construction work on the project continued uninterrupted, he said, adding Pakistan was compelled to seek World Bank’s intervention, as stipulated in the Treaty, to appoint a neutral expert to settle the issue. <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Cheers <!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo-->