ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice has decided to get an in-camera briefing on the dispute between Pakistan and India over the construction of the Kishanganga Dam.

The committee, headed by Senator Syed Ali Zafar, took up the issue on Tuesday.

The Law Ministry asked the committee to call in someone from the Attorney General’s office for a briefing, since they were the ones dealing with the dispute, which was being heard by an international arbitration court at The Hague.

The committee agreed to give the ministry more time to come up with a response, and decided that a separate session would be held for the in-camera briefing.

Last week, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) rejected India’s objections to its assumption of jurisdiction in a dispute between the neighboring countries over the Kisha­nganga and Ratle Hydro­electric projects, under the Indus Waters Treaty.

Committee chairman says resource constraints must be considered before creation of new provinces

Deciding in favour of Pakistan, the PCA ruled that it was indeed the competent authority to determine the Kishanganga dispute between Pakistan and India.

The dispute pertains to concerns raised by Pakistan over India’s construction of the 330-megawatt Kishanganga hydroelectric project on the River Jhelum and plans to construct the 850MW Ratle hydroelectric project on the Chenab in Indian-held Kashmir.

Creation of provinces

The committee also discussed the matter of the creation of two new provinces, South Punjab and the Hazara region, noting that there were sufficient reasons to necessitate a re-thinking of administrative divisions.

Mr Zafar pointed out the poor governance and lack of economic development in areas that were located further afield from Lahore and Peshawar, adding that this distance was also creating daily communication problems for the people.

The creation of more provinces would also address the economic and political marginalisation of minorities in the provinces, while also strengthening the federation, he noted.

However, the chairman pointed out that the creation of new administrative units should not be based on ethnic and linguistic grounds alone, but also on population-related and administrative lines.

He said that the committee must also keep in mind whether Pakistan can carve out new provinces with the current resources in existing economic conditions and, secondly, whether the provinces being proposed would be economically viable units.

Mr Zafar also pointed out that as a result of the creation of new provinces, there would be separate cabinets, governors, assemblies, courts and high courts, ministries, and departments, and the quota of the new provinces in the federal service would have to be catered to and new provincial cadres would have to be created.

“The committee will also have to look into the distribution of resources, how the NFC award will be reconsidered, as well as matters relating to canals’ distribution,” he pointed out.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2023