The Hindu : International / India & World : Pakistan wants to monitor compliance on Baglihar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 14, 2007
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International

International - India & World

Pakistan wants to monitor compliance on Baglihar

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: Expressing surprise at New Delhi's welcome to the Baglihar dam verdict, and indicating that Pakistan does not trust India to implement it, a senior official of the water ministry said the government would seek access to the project to monitor compliance with the neutral expert's determinations.

Water and Power Resources secretary Ashfaq Mahmood said the government would seek access under the provisions of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

Expert's determination

"Our teams will go and make sure that the neutral expert's determination is complied with," he said on Geo Television.

While the verdict is clearly not a complete victory or defeat for either side, publicly, Pakistan is staying with the message that it has "won" the Baglihar case and that India is the "loser."

Surprise

Mr. Mahmood said he was "surprised" at India painting the verdict as its victory.

At the same time, Pakistan is also asserting that it reserves the right to challenge parts of the verdict that are not favourable to it.

Indus Waters Commissioner Syed Jammat Ali Shah said on Tuesday that while the overall verdict was in Pakistan's favour, legal and technical experts were examining if any part of it was in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.

He said if that was the case, Pakistan had the right to object.

This appears to be a reference to the neutral expert's determination, against the objections of Pakistan and in India's favour, that the gated spillways on the dam can remain where they are.

The Water and Power Resources Minister, Liaquat Ali Jatoi, said on Monday that Pakistan had "reservations" about this part of the verdict and was examining its "legal options."

The IWT Commissioner said Pakistan was determined not to withdraw its claim over "a single drop of water" from its share in the Indus Waters Treaty.

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