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| Pakistan fighting for water, not Kashmiri Muslims | | |
RUSTAM
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 14: "This month, the International Centre for Peace Initiatives published a book called The Final Settlement: Restructuring India-Pakistan Relations. The book suggested that the search for a final settlement between the two countries (India and Pakistan) must be predicted on the analysis of three essential elements in the bilateral relationship - Fire (use of terrorism as state policy), Water (rivers of (Jammu and) Kashmir) and Land (an agreed future status of (Jammu and Kashmir)."
"As summer has arrived and the annual water agitations have already started in Sindh, the part of this book dealing with water is timely. Shortage of water and its gross mismanagement in Pakistan have the potential of sabotaging the new-found bonhomie between the peoples of that country and India. The facts about the water situation in Pakistan, as mentioned in this book, are alarming. The Pakistani Army generals want their land in Punjab to get uninterrupted water supply at the cost of Sindh by upstream division of water from the Indus. During the summer, the Indus is almost dry as it enters Sindh. As a result, there is massive intrusion of the sea destroying farm lands. On top of it, the government plans to build the Kalabagh Dam and Thal Canal, which, the Sindhis say, will further reduce water flow to their province. The construction of the Kalabagh Dam is opposed both by the Sindhis and Pustuns of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The Sindhis have threatened to start a secessionist movement if the government does go ahead with the construction of this dam. The people of Baluchistan, too, oppose this dam. This province faces drought in summer and devastating floods during the monsoons. The government's lack of concern for this province was exposed in January (2005) when five small dams of inferior quality were washed away in rain and snow destroying human lives and property. The Thal Canal is opposed because it is designed to supply additional water to areas in Punjab where army generals have their farms. At the cost of Sindh".
In order to avoid a conflict with Sindh, according to the book, the Pakistan government may feel that it needs physical control over the Chenab catchment region in Jammu and Kashmir. 'It needs sites to build dams to store, divert and regulate water flow', the book says".
The then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, had opened a two-track diplomatic channel with the Government of India soon after Gen. Musharraf became army chief. Apparently, this new diplomacy was started at Gen. Musharraf's instance. During this time, a suggestion was floated that the Chenab River should become border between the two countries. Pakistan wanted water security beyond the 1960 Indus Water Treaty. Gen. Musharraf's Dixon Plan-like proposals in October last year (2004) suggested a division of Jammu into sub-regions roughly along the Chenab River".
"To meet Punjab's water needs, Pakistan has been exploiting (Jammu and) Kashmir in two ways. One, the Mangla Dam constructed on the Jhelum in occupied (Jammu and) Kashmir has revolutionized Punjab's agriculture at the cost of PoK. The construction of this dam in 1960 had rendered lakhs of Mirpuris homeless. They hardly received any compensation. PoK does not receive royalty for water it supplies to Pakistan. Now to meet Punjab's increased water needs, Pakistan has decided to raise the height of the Mangla Dam by 30 feet. This will make more than 40,000 people homeless in Mirpur. Hence, bitter protests. Pakistan is also toying with the idea of constructing a dam at Skardu in the Northern Areas. If this dam is constructed, Baltistan will ultimately disappear. Here too, there are protests".
All this should serve to expose the Pakistani evil designs. The Kashmiri Muslims would do well to take cognizance of these evil designs of Pakistan and refashion their approach towards Islamabad, which is an enemy and not a friend. Besides, the Muslims of Kashmir would do well if they take note of the Pakistani policies towards their co-religionists in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan. They must remember that Islamabad's singe-point agenda is to enslave them and exploit them, erode their identity and establish physical control over the state waters. Will the rise to the occasion? Will they expose the likes of Geelanis in their own long-term interests? (Concluded)
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