Pakistan no to seeking NOC on dam from India

Islamabad, Aug 14 (IANS) Islamabad has refused to ask India for a no-objection certificate (NOC) needed to get multilateral funding for a dam in the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region, a media report said Tuesday.

The government is now contemplating plan-B to arrange funding for the $12 billion Diamer-Bhasha dam project. It declined an Asian Development Bank suggestion that Pakistan should secure an NOC from India to seek multilateral funding for the project, reported Dawn.

The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by Minister for Water and Power Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar Monday.

The 4,500 MW Diamer-Bhasha Dam is in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.

Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has been told to submit a report along with details of its alternate plan by Wednesday.

Wapda chairman Shakil Durrani said that ADB had been supportive of the dam project all along in doing the paper work and on at least three occasions had committed to providing up to $4 billion.

Of late, however, it had started to show reluctance and desired that Pakistan should get an NOC from India for the project because it was located in a disputed territory, the daily reported.

Durrani said ADB's request had been rejected.

"Why should we seek an Indian NoC now when all documentation for the project has been finalised in line with the ADB's safeguard guidelines and we have even got the project approved from the Council of Common Interests to meet a demand of the Manila-based organisation. All settlement and environmental issues have also been taken care of in accordance with the ADB parameters," he was quoted as saying.