LoC tension: Pakistan, India talks on Wullar Barrage postponed

Talks between Pakistan and India on water disputes, scheduled to be held in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on January 28, have been postponed, state radio reported on Saturday.

India has stopped its secretary from participating in the talks on the Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation project, which is one of the eight issues of Composite Dialogue Process underway between the two countries, sources said.

Radio Pakistan said the Indian delegation was scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on Saturday for talks. New date for the talks has not been announced.

It is believed that the talks have been postponed due to the recent tension over the cross-border clashes in the disputed Kashmir region.

Pakistan and India have accused each other of violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control (LoC), which divides the two countries in the disputed Kashmir region.

At least five soldiers, including three Pakistani, were killed in the LoC clashes this month.

Military officials of the two countries have held talks for de-escalations, however, tension still exits, which led to the postponement of talks on water disputes.

The last round of water talks was held in New Delhi in March last year.

Work to construct barrage on Wullar Lake in Baramulla district of the Indian-controlled Kashmir began in 1984 but it was halted three years later after Pakistan raised objections dubbing it as a violation of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

The IWT, a long-standing agreement negotiated by the governments of India and Pakistan and the World Bank was signed in 1960 and is considered the world’s most successful water treaty, having remained relatively intact for 50 years and having withstood four Pak-India wars.

Pakistan says that the water flow in the lake would be obstructed once the barrage is constructed.

India dismisses the Pakistani objection, arguing that the project was not aimed at storing water but to maintain better water-level during the lean season between October and February.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Jan 26 2013. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan, South Asia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.