Pak for inspection of Baglihar dam before its operationalisation

Islamabad, Jan 30 (UNI) Pakistan hopes India would allow its water officials to inspect Baglihar dam before its operationisation.

''We noted reports about Indian plans for opertionalisation of the Baglihar dam and expect that the specifications of the dam will conform to those proposed by the neutral expert in its verdict,'' foreign office spokesman MUhammad Sadiq told a press briefing in Islamabad on Monday.

He said Pakistan Indus High Commissioner had requested for a meeting to inspect the dam before its operationalisation. In his verdict on the hydropower project in February 2007, World Bank neutral expert, Professor Raymond Lafitte had declared that it was a clear violation of Pak-India Indus Waters Treaty 1960 and New Delhi should modify its design.

The neutral expert in his verdict clearly stated that India should not have built the Baglihar hydropower project because it is negation of the Treaty facilitated by the World Bank.

UNI XC ARB MIR KP1816