Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Close on the heels of the expert-level talks on nuclear CBMs, officials from India and Pakistan will hold two-day parleys in New Delhi from tomorrow to iron out differences over the contentious Baglihar hydro power project being built on Chenab river in J-K.
After the failure of several rounds of talks at the level of Indus Water Commissioners to resolve the differences during the last year, the two countries are now holding talks at the level of officials from the concerned ministries to work out a solution.
The seven-member Pakistani delegation, headed by Water and Power Secretary Ashfaq Mehmood, included Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah and concerned engineers and officials. The director of South Asia in the Pakistan Foreign Office, Jalil Abbas Jilani will also join the talks.
The new format for talks was agreed to by the two countries early this year after Shah recommended to refer the issue to the World Bank for a third party arbitration. Shah maintained that the 450 mw project, nearing completion, would impede the water flow from Chenab to Pakistan. India denies it saying the limited storage facility was only aimed at utilising it for the generation of power.
