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| India protests as China helping Pak build dams in PoK | | Leh DC visits border, files report | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 11: Even as the Ministry of External Affairs continues to downplay the alleged Chinese incursions in Ladakh and China accuses Indian media of blowing the ‘non-issue’ out of proportion, the Deputy Commissioner of Leh Ajit Kumar Sahu is reported to have traveled to the borders areas for a ground assessment and is believed to have sent his report to the Government.
Though Sahu could not be immediately reached for his comments, sources said that the Leh District Magistrate has sent a report to the Government after he visited the site where the Chinese intrusion was reported recently.
Meanwhile, amidst cautious downplaying of incursions by the Ministry of External Affairs, India has lodged strong protest with Pakistan for taking Chinese assistance in building up a dam in the Northern Areas, recently rechristened as Gilgit-Baltistan. Interestingly, in this case also India did not convey displeasure to China and instead took up issue with Pakistan. Islamabad has, however, rejected ‘India’s right to protest’ on this particular dam.
“The government of India lodged a protest against the construction of (the) project located in a part of Jammu and Kashmir under the illegal occupation of Pakistan,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash told reporters in New Delhi today.
The ministry lodged the protest with Pakistan’s deputy high commissioner Riffat Masood here, officials said. India’s high commission in Islamabad will also lodge a formal protest with Pakistan’s foreign office soon.
Pakistan and China signed a memorandum of understanding in August for the construction of a dam at Bunji in Astore district in Gilgit-Baltistan, earlier known as the Northern Areas, during President Asif Ali Zardari’s Beijing visit. Earlier, New Delhi had also protested against the construction of the Neelam Jhelum hydropower project and Bhasa dam Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
The dam, one of the eight hydel projects shortlisted for construction with a capacity of generating 7,000 MW of electricity, has triggered anxieties in India about growing Chinese activities in Pakistani Kashmir.
During his visit to Hang Zhou in Zhejiang province and Guangzhou Aug 21-24, Zardari sought Chinese participation in the development of hydel, thermal and solar energy projects, irrigation and fisheries and mobile telephone networks. Pakistani and Chinese companies have signed a slew of pacts in these areas.
Immediately after India lodged protest, the Pakistan Foreign Office stated that India has no right to protest over the construction of Bunji power project.
"The government of India also protested through diplomatic channels today against the government of Pakistan's so-called 'Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order- 2009'," External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
"The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India by virtue of its accession in 1947. The so-called 'Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order- 2009' is yet another cosmetic exercise intended to camouflage Pakistan's illegal occupation," it said.
The reforms and self-governance package, which was approved on August 29, is seen as a step towards merger of the Northern Areas with Pakistan. Northern Areas, which are part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, have so far been directly ruled by Islamabad.
The 7,000 MW power project is proposed to be constructed with Chinese help on 'Build, Operate, Own and Transfer' (BOOT) basis. An MoU in this regard was signed during President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to China last month. The project is estimated to cost between USD 6-7 billion and all the investment will be made by Chinese entrepreneurs.
The MoU has been signed between Pakistan's Water and Power Ministry and China's Three Gorges Project Corporation that has recently built the world's largest hydro power project in China -- capable of generating over 22,000 MW of electricity -- and a water reservoir spread over 650 sq km.
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