The Hindu : International / India & World : India, Pakistan officials to meet next week

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 13, 2004

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International - India & World

India, Pakistan officials to meet next week

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JUNE 12. Ahead of the technical-level talks on nuclear confidence building measures (CBMs) scheduled for June 19 and 20 in New Delhi, experts from India and Pakistan would meet here next week to discuss measures on combating drug trafficking and smuggling across the common border.

According to the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, the Secretary of the Ministry of Narcotics Control, Khalid Latif, would lead the Pakistan delegation, while M.K. Singh, Director-General, Narcotics Control Bureau would lead the Indian side.

The talks are part of the timetable finalised during the Foreign Secretary-level talks in February. The Foreign Secretaries would begin the composite dialogue in New Delhi in the last week of June on CBMs on security and Kashmir.

Another meeting would be held in New Delhi on June 21-22 at the level of the Secretaries of Water and Power to discuss Pakistan's concerns on the Balighar hydroelectric project. India's proposal to raise the height of dam on the Jhelum has been a point of contention between the two sides.

There have been several rounds of talks on the subject in the last two years to allay Pakistan's fears that raising the height of the dam for construction of a 330-megawatt hydroelectric project would not affect its interests.

Pakistan says the Indian proposal is in violation of the terms of the 1960 Indus Basin Treaty and that India is permitted to generate electricity but cannot divert the flow of water.

The treaty divides between Pakistan and India six rivers, which run through or start in Indian-controlled Kashmir. It gives India exclusive rights over the waters of the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas, while Pakistan has rights over the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.

In 2003 at one stage Pakistan had threatened to invoke provisions of the Indus Treaty and seek third party mediation. However, in the spirit of the desire on both sides to improve ties, it agreed to continue discussions.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman, Masood Khan, told reporters here that the technical-level talks on nuclear CBMs would be within the framework of the memorandum of understanding between India and Pakistan in February 1999.

Defence budget increased

PTI reports:

Pakistan today increased its defence allocation by seven per cent amid projections of 6.4 per cent growth rate in its overall economy this year.

The Pakistan Finance Minister, Shoukat Aziz, presented the Budget for 2004-05 amid a token walkout by the Opposition, which accused the Minister of fudging figures to improve the image of the Government.

The increase in the budget from $2.8 billions to $3.4 billions, which amounts to 21.7 per cent of Pakistan's total budget, comes at a time when relations with India are improving. Officials explained that the increase was necessitated by the deployment of large-scale military forces in the troubled tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to flush out Al-Qaeda militants.

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