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Islamabad: Pakistan said on Tuesday India has violated the 1960 Indus Water Treaty by reducing flows in the Chenab river and that it would lodge a protest with New Delhi.
Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf told the media that the Indian action had caused substantial losses to standing crops in Punjab province and the damages were being assessed.
It has been decided to lodge a strong protest with India against the "violation" of the 1960 treaty on sharing of river waters, the minister said.
Ashraf earlier chaired a meeting of senior officials to take stock of the implications of the reduction of flows in Chenab to fill reservoir of the Baglihar hydropower project in the Indian Kashmir.
Ongoing dispute
The issue has been raised repeatedly by Pakistani authorities within the framework of the Permanent Indus Commission created under the treaty to resolve problems.
The Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad was called by the Foreign Office on September 5 to convey Pakistan's concern over the river situation. New Delhi was urged to allow inspection of Baglihar dam.
In the past the dispute over design of Baglihar dam led to reference of the issue to World Bank arbitration and some of the objections of Pakistan were addressed in the decision of the arbitrator. The authorities here say under the agreement filling of the dam could occur between June 21 and August 31.
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