Monday, February 14 2005 10:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: After four days of hectic parleys to resolve their differences on the 330 MW Kishanganga hydropower project in Jammu and Kashmir, India and Pakistan today (Feb 14, 2005) decided to hold another round of talks on the contentious issue later this month.

The Indian delegation led by Indus Commissioner D K Mehta and the Pakistani side headed by his counterpart Syed Jamaat Ali Shah exchanged records and signed minutes of the meeting after marathon talks that began yesterday afternoon (Feb 13, 2005) and went on till the wee hours of today.

"We could not arrive at a solution but both sides stressed on a resolution to the issue before February 28," Shah said.

He said at their first meeting at Lahore last November (2004), both sides had agreed to sort out their differences within three months. Therefore it was decided to hold the talks before February 28 either in Islamabad or Lahore.

Indian official sources also claimed "positive movement" in the talks and said the two sides narrowed down to six items out of the 20 points identified at the first meeting. To a question whether Pakistan would move the World Bank for the appointment of a neutral expert as in the case of the 450 MW Baglihar power Project on river Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistani delegation leader said, "We have no such intentions but the situation cannot remain in a deadlock and even India can seek the appointment of a neutral expert."

During the talks the Indian side sought to alley Islamabad's apprehension on the plant's design and provided "substantive response" to its concerns over the inter-tributary transfer of water, which the latter claims is violative of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960.

New Delhi also disagrees with Islamabad's views that the plant's design with a height of 77 metres violated the accord and has suggested that Pakistan come up with a "techno-economically feasible alternative in tune with common engineering."

On the Baglihar issue, India has taken objections to Pakistan seeking World Bank arbitration to resolve the differences between the two countries.