Pak to launch ‘aggressive campaign’ against India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will launch an “aggressive campaign” within the country and abroad to address its concerns about the alleged violation of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty by India, water resources minister Faisal Vawda has said.

Vawda’s remarks, made at a news conference in Islamabad on Monday, came against the backdrop of what Pakistani officials said was a delay by India in facilitating a visit by a Pakistani team to two hydropower projects, the 1,000-MW Pakal Dul and 48-MW Lower Kalnal.

Without providing details of the proposed campaign, he said he would “trap India to its own bluff card” because the matter was related to Pakistan’s security. Vawda said he was holding consultations with stakeholders to resolve “challenges with India on a war footing”, the Dawn newspaper reported.

“We do not foresee an inspection

visit (to the two projects being executed by India on the) Chenab River in the near future, based on my telephonic discussions with my Indian counterpart,” said Pakistan’s Permanent Indus Water Commissioner, Syed Mehr Ali Shah.

Shah said the Indian commissioner had promised at the conclusion of an annual meeting on August 30 to arrange a visit to the Indian sites in the last week of September, but it was delayed to Oct 7-12 on the ground that

local government elections were to be held in Jammu and Kashmir.

He alleged the Indian side had not honoured its revised schedule, saying panchayat elections were being held in Jammu and Kashmir after 20 years.

Shah said he wrote a letter expressing his disappointment and then talked to his Indian counterpart a few days ago on phone, and based on that discussion, he did not expect a visit soon.