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[Naresh]

[url="http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=28091"]Pak-India talks on hydro projects fail[/url]



LAHORE: After the failure of the Permanent Indus Waters Commissions of India and Pakistan to bridge differences over two projects on the Chenab and Jhelum rivers, the commissions also failed to make progress on controversial hydropower projects being built by India on the Indus River.



The latest breakdown of talks could lead to intervention of a third party. The World Bank-assisted mechanism of neutral expert or court of arbitration is among various options that have already been sought by Pakistan to remove the differences on Baglihar and Kishanganga projects.



During the three-day negotiations that ended here on Tuesday, India was not willing to accept Pakistan’s assertion about illegal designs of Nimmo Bazgo and Chutak hydropower projects and also insisted to postpone further dialogue on this important issue till next the meeting of the commission. A Pakistani team member expressed concern that India was intensifying its efforts to construct a series of water sector projects on western rivers that had been given to Pakistan under the 1961 Indus Waters Treaty.



“After constructing illegal structures on Chenab and Jhelum, India is now focusing on Indus river and has turned a deaf ear to Pakistan’s objections during the talks,” he added. He said the visiting Indian team was exposed when Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters expressed inability to take stand on various issues related to Nimmo-Bazgo and Chutak hydropower projects.



“We can respond to objection of Pakistan only after seeking advice from the government,” said the Indian commissioner in response to Pakistan’s several objections to hydropower projects. The official said a permanent commission set up under the Indus Waters Treaty was a full fledged body and it should be capable of taking decisions on controversial issues. “The impression given by the Indian team in negotiation only points to dillydallying,” he added.



Meanwhile, Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters Jamaat Ali Shah said India was neither accepting Pakistan’s objection to water sector projects, nor it was willing to refer this issue to a third party.



However, he made it clear that the decision to proceed further was taken on the level of the commission and India wanted to discuss this issue further in the upcoming meeting in the last week of May in New Dehli. “The efforts of commission have been exhausted and it will be put forward in the shape of questions, which need concrete answers,” he elaborated. He sought assurances from India that it must incorporate changes suggested by Pakistan in the project design, in the light of the Indus Waters Treaty, if these were considered logical in the next round of talks. However, he lamented that Indian delegation did not respond to this, saying they would respond later.



Meanwhile, after the conclusion of three-day talks, Indian Indus Waters Commissioner Aranga Nathan once again insisted that India was not stealing Pakistan’s share of river waters and all hydropower projects being built by the country were according to the provisions of the treaty. [color="#FF0000"]He termed it merely a propaganda of the media in Pakistan that India was stealing water of the western rivers.[/color]



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