Wednesday, January 12 2005 18:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Stepping up its campaign against India's construction of the Baglihar hydro-power dam, Pakistan has briefed envoys of different countries, including the US and China, on its stand on the issue but assured them that the failure of talks to resolve it would not have a direct bearing on the composite dialogue process.

Twenty-odd envoys of different countries were yesterday (Jan 11, 2005) given a detailed briefing on the issue by Pakistan Water and Power Secretary Ashfaq Mehmud, a move termed by the media in Islamabad as a "diplomatic offensive".

"It was also conveyed to the envoys that Baglihar issue would not have a direct bearing on the composite dialogue process as it was never part of the composite process," local daily 'Dawn' quoted officials as saying.

Besides, heads of the EU missions, envoys from Canada, US, China, Australia and Japan attended the 90-minute briefing by Mehmud, who led the Pakistani delegation at the last round of talks in New Delhi.

Mehmud explained to them technical aspects involved in the issue, the requirements of the 1960 bilateral Indus Waters Treaty and Pakistan's claim that the Indians were departing from the treaty, the paper reported.

The envoys were told that since differences were conclusively established and bilateral track had failed to resolve them, the only option for Pakistan was to resort to other avenues provided by the treaty to settle the dispute, the paper said.

Pakistan has not yet officially announced its next course of action on the Baglihar issue. Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan yesterday said that "important decisions" were taken during a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday.

"We'll see how we proceed. A firm decision on the World Bank intercession will be made public soon," Khan said.

Pakistan claims that the construction of the hydro-power dam on river Chenab in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir is violative of the Indus Water Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960.