Naveed Qamar advises India to stop work on controversial KHEP

Terming the interim stay order of the Court of Arbitration (CoA) against the controversial Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project in Indian occupied Kashmir “a victory for Pakistan” the Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar advised India to stop work on the project. Talking to reporters after a function of the workers of Islamabad Electricity Supply Company (IESCO) on Monday, he said that the interim stay order by CoA was acceptance of Pakistan’s arguments against the controversial project in Indian occupied Kashmir.
The court has stopped India from carrying out any permanent construction activity in the Kishanganga River bed. India wants to build storage to divert the water of river through a tunnel that would be ending up in Wular lake on the Jhelum River. More than 40 km stretch of the Neelam River in Pakistani Kashmir will face significant reduction in water flow if the project gets executed by India. The Minister advised India to stop work on the project. However he said that the India could carryout other construction activity related to KHEP project on its own risk. In reply on the question on the increase in power tariff, he said that an increase of 12 per cent in power tariff for the current fiscal year was proposed at the ministerial committee on energy issues. However, he said, there was no final decision as yet on the tariff hike.
He disagreed to a questioner that United States had refused funding for the Diamer Bhasha Dam. He said that the matter was taken up at the recent Pak-US energy dialogue where US representatives informed that the matter was with the Congress for decision. About the dissolution of PEPCO, he said it would seize to exist by October end. He said that he was not satisfied with the recovery drive of distribution companies (DISCOs) and ultimatum of 30 days had been given after which those who failed could be sent home. He said that the electricity load shedding had increased immediately during the last two days due to non timely payment of fuel supplies. He said steps were taken to improve the situation and PEPCO would be releasing more funds for the fuel supplies to over the crisis.