M A I N   N E W S

Pak promises to honour Indus treaty
Denies diverting Ravi, Sutlej waters
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Wagah (Amritsar), October 19
The Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Water (PCIW), Mr Syed Jamaiat Ali Shah, today promised that the Government of Pakistan would not violate the Indus water treaty, signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, at any cost as mutual trust between both the neighbouring countries would go a long way to exploit the six-river basin, comprising Jhelum, Chenab, Sindh, Beas, Ravi and Sutlej for the benefit of humanity.

Mr Shah reached India through the Wagah joint check post, along with Mr Izhar-ul-Haq and Mr Bashir Ahmed — both Advisers to PCIW, here today.

The PCIW has come on a four-day inspection of the Baglihar hydro-electric project which is under construction in Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Narinder Kumar, Senior Joint Commissioner, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, and many dignitaries received the PCIW at the Wagah joint check post.

The PCIW had been requesting permission from its Indian counterpart to inspect the Baglihar project since 1999 as per the Indus water treaty.

However, the visit could not materialise after the Kargil conflict. Mr Narinder Kumar said that situation had not been conducive for the visit of PCIW due to variety of reasons. He said even now the delegation of PCIW would first visit New Delhi before its inspection of the Baglihar project.

The visit of the PCIW to the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir would blunt the propaganda of Pakistan that nobody was being allowed to visit the Kashmir valley.

Under the Indus water treaty either side could inspect the projects on six rivers on a simple request. Mr Shah said that the frequent visits and inspections of the commissions from both the side would help in implementation of the treaty in toto.

Mr Shah denied that Pakistan had been diverting the course of the Ravi and the Sutlej rivers to the Indian side as alleged by India. A huge chunk of land in Amritsar (near Ranike-Kakkar border) and Ferozepore was being eroded due to the diversion of the rivers by Pakistan, especially during the rainy days every year.

According to sources, both the countries could store the surplus water under the Indus water treaty which could not be tapped due to lack of coordination. In case water commissioner from both the countries continued to hold frequent visits, the precious water, which went waste otherwise, could be tapped and stored successfully.

The delegation later paid a visit to the Golden Temple here before it proceeded for New Delhi by the Amritsar-Delhi Shatabadi Express.

The members would tomorrow hold discussion with Indian officials and later visit Jammu and Kashmir to take on-the-spot stock of situation at the Badhalihar Dam on the bank of Indus river.