Neutral expert to hear Indo-Pak water dispute

New Delhi, Sep 22 (UNI) The second round of hearings on the Indo-Pak dispute on Baglihar river project in Jammu and Kashmir will be held from September 30 to October three before Swiss Neutral Expert at Paris, Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz said here today.

Prof Soz told newspersons the Indian view points would be presented before Mr Raymond Lafitte by noted lawyer Fali S Nariman.

The Neutral Expert appointed on the demand of Pakistan after several rounds of negotiations did not yeild results as per the provisions of Indus Treaty agreed between the two countries.

Dr Lafitte is adjudicating the differences between India and Pakistan on the design of the Rs 4500-crore Baglihar dam under construction on the Chenab in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

India contends that the run of the river project was as per the provisions of the Indus Treaty and the project did not provide for storage of water while Pakistan fears that the project would impound its waters. Dr Lafitte had also visited the project site to about the problems personally.

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