Friday, January 14 2005 17:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri today (Jan 14, 2005) urged India not to let Baglihar dam issue become another "irritant" and said Islamabad would call for recasting the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty if there was no bilateral settlement.

In an interview to state-run PTV, Kasuri also welcomed as a "statesman-like comment" Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks in Kolkata that there should be "out of the box" solutions to the "challenge" of stabilising India's relations with Pakistan and China and there was a need to move away from "incrementalism."

About the Baglihar project being built by India on river Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "I would urge upon India that let this not be added as another irritant."

Stressing that Pakistan wanted resolution of the Baglihar issue with India bilaterally, he said, "If that is not possible we will have no option but re-cast provisions of the Indus Basin Treaty," an apparent reference to Pakistan approaching the World Bank, which brokered the Treaty in 1960.

Pakistan tried to convince India from 1992 to 1999 that specifications of the dam are contrary to the Indus Water Treaty, he said adding credit goes to the Pakistan Government for bringing this issue to the present level.

Asked about India's assertion that it would take appropriate action in case Pakistan moved the World Bank, the Foreign Minister said, if a statement of this type and tone was made at all, it would be "unfortunate."

"We hope they will respond appropriately rather than inappropriately. Pakistan was fully capable of safeguarding its vital interests. We should avoid intemperate language at all costs," he said.

Kasuri said Pakistan and India had accumulated a lot of baggage over the past 50 years but the situation has improved during the past two years.

On the Composite Dialogue process to resolve differences on Kashmir and other issues, he said "Pakistan is very sincere about the dialogue and improving the general state of relations with India."

Sincerity of Pakistan leadership to take forward the dialogue process is beyond question, he said adding that Pakistan has made it abundantly clear that there will be no unilateral flexibility.

Kasuri said Pakistan is going ahead for the Composite Dialogue process with India honestly and added, "it is our very honest desire to improve relations with India despite our facing lot of criticism internally for being too soft."

Kasuri also highlighted Pakistan's foreign policy successes over the past year, including the work done after the success of last year's SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit in Islamabad, readmission to the Commonwealth, admission to the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Regional Forum and designation of Pakistan by USA as Major Non-Nato Allay.

He also said that Pakistan has contributed to the relief efforts in the countries ravaged by last month's tsunami.