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Swiss expert: Baglihar report binding on India, Pakistan
by Rajneesh Parihans

     Jammu: Visiting World Bank expert Raymond Lafitte has winded up a marathon inspection of the 450-mw Baglihar hydro- electric power project in Jammu, and said that his report on technical aspects would be binding on both India and Pakistan. Talking to newsmen in Jammu on Tuesday, Lafitte said that the World bank team has inspected the Baglihar project and studied in depth objections raised by Pakistan and counter-points of India. He asserted that the he had minutely studied technical details of the project, and he would submit his report to the World Bank, which would be binding on both India and Pakistan. The team carried out hectic two-day inspection of the Baghilar project in Doda district and held extensive discussions with officials concerned at Chanderkote site. It also studied the power house, dam design and course of river Chenab. He informed that he took point of views of both the sides into consideration while inspecting the dam design and peripheral structures.

     Besides Lafitte, a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, and two other Swiss neutral experts, the team comprised six Pakistani and four Indian officials. Lafitte was appointed the neutral expert by the World Bank in May to adjudicate on Rs 4,500 crore (1.01 billion dollar) power project under terms of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty after Pakistan raised technical objections. Pakistan has been consistently opposing the construction of the Baglihar Dam over River Chenab. It has said that the construction is in violation of the Indus Water Treaty 1960 and has the possibility of diverting the river's waters to India's advantage. It has also said that upon completion, the dam would deprive Pakistan of seven-eight thousand cusecs of water per day, in the process, adversely affecting wheat production in Pakistan's Punjab province. India, has however, denied the charge. As India and Pakistan failed to resolve the dispute, Pakistan approached the World Bank for arbitration.

      The neutral expert for solving the issue, Raymond Lafitte, however, has refused to accept Pakistan's demand that India stop work on the project till he gives a verdict on whether or not the dam conforms to the Indus Waters Treaty. Raymond Lafitte held his first meeting with the India and Pakistan representatives on the Baglihar dispute in Paris on June 9 this year. Lafitte has so far taken the view that it would be too expensive to suspend work on the project and then commence it again if the verdict went in India's favour. Pakistan's Indus Waters Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah visited the Baglihar site at the head of a five- member delegation from July 23 to July 30, and Pakistan's case was based on his report. While both countries have already submitted their reports to him, Lafitte is to determine whether the Baglihar issue constitutes a difference or a dispute.

Muslims in Kashmir prepare for Ramadan (Go To Top)

     Srinagar: Muslims in Srinagar, the summer capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, thronged markets on Wednesday to make purchases ahead of the holy Ramadan month beginning on Thursday. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Hijra lunar calendar, commemorates the revelation of Quran, Islam's holy book, and has traditionally been a time of religious fervour, settling old disputes and behaving charitably towards neighbours. Fasting during Ramadan, which continues for a period of 30 days, is one of the five pillars of Islam. During daylight hours, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, sexual intercourse and listening to music. At night, the pleasures of the senses may resume. Locals said they would pray for the return of peace and prosperity to the restive valley. "We would pray for friendship on both sides as we want an end to the bloodshed in the valley," said Salad Ahmed, a local. "I can only pray for peace and prosperity in this region. We should get what we have been dreaming of awhile but through the right steps," said Abdul, another local. During Ramadan, people visit mosques daily to recite the Holy Quran. Considered auspicious for prayers, Muslims observe the month-long fasting called "roza" which they believe secures them a place in heaven and also bring them face to face with Allah -- the Almighty -- on the day of "Kalama" (when the world will cease to be). Kashmir has been the venue of a bitter, violent revolt against New Delhi's rule that has killed tens of thousands of people since 1989.

Natwar Singh returns after landmark Pakistan visit  (Go To Top)
by Surinder Kapoor

     New Delhi: External Affairs Minister K.Natwar Singh returned to the Indian capital a short while ago after completing a successful four-day visit to Pakistan, his second in the last eight months. Talking exclusively to ANI TV onboard the aircraft, Singh described the visit as positive in terms of results in that both India and Pakistan had signed two significant agreements -- one on the pre-notification of missile tests and the other on improving communication links between the Indian Coast Guard and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency. He also said that after this visit, he anticipated greater people-to-people contacts as both India and Pakistan had agreed to launch a fresh bus service between Amritsar and Lahore, and were working out the modalities for a similar service between Amritsar and Nankana Sahib. Talks for launching of a truck service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad were also an anvil. Coming to the more serious issues, Natwar Singh said that he and his Pakistani counterpart Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri had agreed to the possibility of committing their two countries to some sort of understanding on the redeployment of troops in the Siachen Glacier, the world's highest battleground.

     On Kashmir, he said that it had been agreed to faciliate a meeting between the divided families on the Line of Control soon, and take the talks on the Sir Creek issue forward. From a humanitarian aspect, he said that he had been able to raise the Sarabjit Singh issue with president Musharraf, and the latter had promised to look into it when it was presented to him. On his Karachi visit, he said that during his discussions with the Governor and Chief Ministers of Sindh Province, he had conveyed the Indian Government's desire to activate the railway link between Khokrapar and Munnabao as early as possible. Discussions were also held on ways to reopen the consulates in Karachi and Mumbai. From a trade and commercial point of view, he said that he had conveyed to Pakistan's captains of industry, New Delhi's desire for improving bilateral trade between the two countries.

LJP releases 24-page manifesto for Bihar polls (Go To Top)

     Patna: Ramvilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on Wednesday released its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly polls in Bihar with promise of providing largesse to the Muslims in his party. In its 24-page manifesto, the LJP stated that it would work towards providing 10 per cent reservation to educationally and economically backward Dalit Muslims on the lines of the reservation enjoyed by the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. The manifesto also promises to set up a university with 50 per cent reservation for the Muslims. Promising to probe communal riots which occurred during the Lalu- Rabri regime, the manifesto says to ensure justified compensation and government jobs to the dependents of those killed in Bhagalpur communal riots in 1989, if the LJP come into power in the State. To tackle any further riot or terror incidents, the party promises to set up special units in the police force.

     The manifesto says to come up with separate budgetary allocations for all minority educational institutions in Bihar, besides the promise of bringing salaries and perks of teachers of minority institutions on par with State Government teachers. LJP also promises to work for 33 per cent reservation for women in local bodies. To check crime against women in the State, it assures making a "crime against women cell", besides strict punitive action against those accused of rape. The Third Front party further promised to set up a hospital in north Bihar on the lines of Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) apart from strengthening the infrastructure of existing hospitals in the State. The manifesto was released in presence of LJP MP Ramchandra Paswan, state LJP president Maualana Rasool Baliaywi, LJP working president Ranjan Yadav and state party spokesperson Sanjay Singh. Assembly elections in the State will be held in four phases and the first phase of voting will take place on October 18. The remaining three phases of voting will take place on October 26, November 13 and November 19 respectively. Counting of votes in all the constituencies will be taken up on November 22, and date before which election process shall be completed will be November 23.