Water crisis more important than any other issue

July, 17 2010
ISLAMABAD: The coming week will usher in the second phase of the strategic dialogue between Pakistan and the United States, but behind-the-scene preparations for the talks make it evident that the Pakistan military is in charge of the dialogue and has decided that the focus of the interaction will remain the country’s economic needs, especially water. The preparations for the upcoming strategic dialogue are taking place at the General Headquarters (GHQ) under the watchful eye of the military top brass, which appears to be so aware of Pakistan’s precarious economic position that it has put these needs at the forefront of the talks, and not security concerns or demands for military hardware. Papers for the dialogue have been compiled after half a dozen meetings at the GHQ over the past two weeks. These meetings were attended by representatives of all the relevant ministries and headed by Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. He will also be part of the Pakistani delegation; the other two principals who will represent the country in the talks are Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh. The composition of the delegation and the preparatory meetings merely reveal the primary role the military is playing domestically despite the existence of a democratic government. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will head the US delegation. Richard Holbrooke, US Special Envoy on Pakistan and Afghanistan, has already arrived in Islamabad and Ms Clinton is expected to arrive on July 18 for the dialogue, which will start on July 19. Equally interesting is the fact that the strategic dialogue papers prepared for the talks under the supervision of the COAS have placed the water crisis with India as the foremost issue of concern, more important than terrorism or the dispute over Kashmir. In fact, Dawn has been told that in contrast to earlier meetings, water has replaced the security situation in terms of priority. Officials told Dawn that resolving the water dispute between Pakistan and India is on top of the agenda in the upcoming strategic dialogue between Pakistan and the United States, which has been set by the military. “Pakistan will request the US to influence India and play its role in settlement of water dispute, mainly related to diversion of water,” sources said. According to the paper, the water issue with India is emerging as a serious crisis, which will have long-term implications on the agriculture output and is likely to cause tension between the two countries. It adds that the control of Pakistan’s water share by India is being seen as a major threat to the security and economy of the country. The document highlights that more than two dozen water projects under way or planned on the western rivers in occupied Kashmir will enable India to control the flow of water into Pakistani territory. Dawn has learnt that the concern, which is shared by the Pakistan military, is that the diversion of Pakistan’s water share in hydroelectric projects by India has already led to a shortage, which in turn has caused huge losses to the agriculture sector, including delay in the sowing of major crops and reduction in cultivated area. The document says that continued diversion of Pakistan’s water share will not just destroy the agriculture sector but also give India an added ability to cause floods in Pakistan during the monsoon seasons. The paper also argues that this manipulation of water is not just adding to the tension between the countries but also fuelling extremism in rural society as livelihood is affected due to water scarcity. The other four top items are market access for Pakistani exports to the US, rehabilitation of the power sector, development of agriculture on modern lines and human capital development. To convince the Americans about the importance of the issues, the Pakistani delegation will tell the Americans that the economic situation is the catalyst for extremism, officials told Dawn. Last but not least, Pakistan will demand $50 billion over the next 10 years for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the economy and to weed out extremism. The delegation will also argue that the $1.5 billion per annum Washington is planning to give Pakistan under the Kerry Lugar Act is not sufficient; it is expected to suggest that the annual aid should be $5 billion instead.
By: Dawn News