Islamabad, Oct 9: Pakistan has instituted proceedings in the International Court of Arbitration to resolve the issue of the Kishanganga dam, which India is building on the Neelum river in Jammu and Kashmir, a federal minister has said.
Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf made the remarks in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament yesterday.
He said the court is likely to take up the matter soon. India had addressed Pakistan’s concerns on a parapet of the Nimmo Bazgo hydroelectric project on the Indus river but concerns relating to pondage, spillway and power intake are yet to be resolved, he said.
 Issues involving the construction of the Uri-II hydroelectric plant by India on the Jhelum river and the Chutak hydroelectric plant on a tributary of the Indus too have been resolved by the Permanent Indus Waters Commission, Ashraf said.
 Designs and tender documents for Pakistan’s Diamer Bhasha dam had been completed and the Asian Development Bank has promised to partly finance the project, he said.
 In November last year, Pakistan had proposed both the establishment of a court of arbitration and the appointment of neutral experts to resolve the Kishanganga Dam dispute with India as soon as possible.
 “The establishment of a court for arbitration and the appointment of neutral experts would be proposed to India, as New Delhi had failed to satisfy Pakistan in matters related to the dispute during negotiations between the Indus water commissioners of the two countries,” Pakistan Indus Water Commissioner Syed Jamaat Ali Shah had said.
 The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), inked between India and Pakistan in 1960, provides appointment of a neutral expert by the World Bank as a last option to resolve water related issues between both the countries.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 9 Oct 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 9 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Oct 2010 00:00:00 IST