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| Stop blocking Wullar barrage project | | |
If India put off its talks with Pakistan on the Wullar barrage it was expected because New Delhi had felt bruised, enraged and cheated by the continued ceasefire violations by the troops across the LOC. And the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers had left no other alternative for New Delhi but to postpone the talks. And if the Indian leadership stated that ceasefire violations on the LOC coupled with barbaric acts of killing Indian soldiers cannot go with the process of dialogue it is understandable because no country can opt for dialogue while it continues to be needled by its neighbour. And Islamabad has been trying to blame New Delhi for postponing talks for resolving the Wullar barrage issue which is not tenable. And Islamabad did not hide the announcement from New Delhi which had clearly opted for postponement of the talks. Reports from Islamabad said that the two-day Pakistan-India talks on Wullar Barrage have been postponed amid renewed tensions between the two countries over ceasefire violations\ along the Line of Control (LoC).The water secretaries of the two countries were to meet on Jan 28-29 to discuss the dispute over Wullar\ Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project. It confirmed that the talks have been postponed and Pakistan expected India to announce new dates for the talks.
And had talks over the Wullar Barrage taken place as per the schedule it would have been the first of a series of resumed bilateral dialogue this year. Many see the postponement as unannounced suspension of the dialogue in its third round In fact the Indian delegation had confirmed their participation and were due on Sunday, but have now sought postponement because of the conflict and tension on the LOC. What is ironical and unfortunate is the way Islamabad has held New Delhi guilty of triggering border conflict and tension. This is evident from a report from Islamabad which said that tension between the two countries flared when Indian troops launched a cross-LoC raid on a Pakistani post in Haji Pir Sector on Jan 6. Two more Pakistani soldiers died in subsequent ceasefire violations. There was also an attack on an Indian military patrol near LoC, which Delhi blamed on Pakistani military. The attack was denied by Pakistan Army. Whatever Pakistan has alleged, stated and claimed is nothing but a bundle of lies because it is an open secret that Pakistani troops have been violating ceasefire by firing on Indian posts and pickets and in a couple of sectors on the LOC even some civilian houses were hit by Pak gunners. And had not the Pakistani troops resorted to unilateral ceasefire violations why had then the Director General Military Operations in Pakistan to issue inst ructions to his troops to honour the ceasefire and stop any violation? And If Islamabad was as innocent as a cow why did it express its desire to deescalate tension on the LOC and proposed a meeting of two foreign ministers?
Ceasefire along the LoC is one of the major confidence-building measures by the two countries that has remained intact all along despite ups and downs in the ties. And whenever some violations of ceasefire take place on the LOC Pakistani soldiers have been invariably held guilty .Besides this India has not been quite optimistic about the attitude of Pakistan during the talks on the Wullar barrage. In fact the project had been conceived in 1984 and it has not been completed despite the passage of 29 years. The reason being unhelpful attitude by Pakistan as Islamabad considers construction of Wullar Barrage by India near Sopore in the Kashmir Valley as a violation of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. Islamabad fears the barrage can disrupt water flow into Pakistan. During all these years India has been trying to remove Pakistan's fears over disruption in flow of water in case the barrage was built but Pakistan continued to harp on violation of the Indus Water Treaty. It has been trying to raise one hurdle after another as it has been doing in case of Uri, Baglihar and Dhul Hasti power projects. In the past even the experts from a third country have rubbished Pakistan's fears on disruption in water flow by the power projects that have been built on Chenab and Jehlum rivers. It seems it is part of anti-India policy that Islamabad continues to obstruct India's plan to utilise water potential for power generation in Jammu and Kashmir. And once Jammu and Kashmir became surplus in power generation part of it can be exported to the energy starved Pakistan and occupied Kashmir. Islamabad does not understand it and simply opts for a policy of needling New Delhi in Jammu and Kashmir. At least in the interest of peace and cordial ties Islamabad needs to stop obstructing power generation programme in Jammu and Kashmir. |
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