New Delhi: India on Thursday strongly condemned against the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan region of India’s Union Territory of Ladakh.
It also said that the dam will lead to submergence of a large part of land in Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh
“The entire UT (Union Territory) of J&K and Ladakh have been ours and will be an integral and inalienable part of India. We have protested strongly against construction of this dam to the Pakistan government. This dam will lead to submergence of a large part of land in Indian UTs of J&K and Ladakh,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said during the virtual weekly media briefing.
“We condemn the continuous attempts by Pakistan to bring about material changes in Indian territories under its illegal occupation. We have also consistently conveyed our protest and shared our concern with both China and Pakistan on all such projects in Indian territories under Pakistan’s illegal occupation where it (Islamabad) has no locus standi,” Mr Srivastava said.
India’s reaction came after Pakistan started construction activity at the Diamer-Bhasha dam in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan region of India’s Union Territory of Ladakh.
In May, India had objected to Pakistan awarding the 4,500 MW mega dam project backed by China with whom India is locked in a bitter territorial battle for the last 70 days and is now overseeing a military disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.
The multi-billion-dollar Diamer-Bhasha project is being executed by a Chinese state-owned firm China Power and a commercial arm of the Pakistan Army, Frontier Works Organisation.
