India violating treaty on sharing of river waters: Pak

Pakistan today said India had been violating a treaty on the sharing of river waters and that it had "strong reservations" over two hydropower projects being built in Jammu and Kashmir.

"There have been violations by India of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. For instance, we still have strong reservations vis-a-vis the Kishanganga and Nimmo-Bazgo projects," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told a weekly news briefing.

Pakistan wants to settle all differences and disputes with India over the sharing of river waters in accordance with the dispute settlement mechanism of the Indus Waters Treaty, Basit said while replying to a question.

Basit did not respond to a query on reported remarks by Pakistan's Indus Waters Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah that the two sides had resolved differences over some projects following recent talks held in Delhi.
   
He said the Foreign Office could not comment on the matter as the agreed minutes of the meeting in Delhi were yet to be received.
   
Pakistan recently informed India of its intention to set up a court of arbitration under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty to resolve differences over the Kishanganga hydropower project.
   
Responding to another question, Basit said the "trust deficit" between Pakistan and India was not a new phenomenon as it dated back to Pakistan's independence and the "lingering Jammu and Kashmir dispute".
   
"We do need to bridge this gap seriously and as far as we are concerned, we are approaching the meeting which will take place in Islamabad between the two Foreign Ministers on July 15 with sincerity of purpose," he said.
   
Pakistan hopes that "this re-engagement would lead to a sustained and meaningful dialogue process" so that the region and bilateral relations are freed from conflicts and disputes, he said.