Owing to the growing power shortage, Pakistan has asked India to give up its opposition to the Bhasha Dam, as this is preventing international donors like the Asian Development Bank from investing in the project. Whereas the successful influence of Indian lobbying is obvious, our own procrastination when it comes to such crucial ventures is also quite evident. Among one of the objections that New Delhi has come up with is that the dam would cut down India’s water share, which is quite absurd given that Pakistan is a lower riparian recipient. It does not seem to matter if India is blocking the Indus waters through dozens of its own dams, Kishanganga, Baglihar to name just two. It was our own failure that we not only were blissfully oblivious at times, when our rights under the Indus Water Treaty were trespassed, but at times our failure was so complete that we did not even manage to file a complaint in the international court of arbitration in the stipulated period. With the Indian position hardening and becoming more aggressive, the BJP, for instance, has asked the Indian government to intervene in Gilgit-Baltistan valley to intervene in “human rights violations”. In our own projects at least, it will be test for us to prove that we can satisfactorily and speedily settle frivolous complaints by the Indian government on projects which are essential for Pakistan’s development and which Pakistan has every legal right to pursue.
Frivolous complaints: edit in The Nation, Sept 26
Published in Uncategorized
Be First to Comment