US considers funding Pakistani dam project, angering India

[Chogy]

but every time its Pakistan that is made the scape goat. Other thing we dont like is our nuclear program being constantly targeted.
We were and still are thankful for the US assistance in flood hit areas. Infact US was the first country to come forward. Its not us that discredit the good US actually does, but incidents like Ramond Davis and drone strikes which shed water on whatever good the US has done.

I think you guys living in Pakistan might be surprised at how LITTLE "bad" news on Pakistan is published. The stuff that is, is immediately posted and dissected here in detail. The average American goes about his life not hating on Pakistan. If anything, there is admiration and gratitude for assistance in the WOT.

Also, the Average guy here simply wants to end the terror threat and see both Afghanistan AND Pakistan prosper.

 

[Don Jaguar]

Also, the Average guy here simply wants to end the terror threat and see both Afghanistan AND Pakistan prosper.

!!!HIGHLY DOUBTFUL!!!

 

[VCheng]

!!!HIGHLY DOUBTFUL!!!

What Chogy said is CORRECT.

I think you guys living in Pakistan might be surprised at how LITTLE "bad" news on Pakistan is published. The stuff that is, is immediately posted and dissected here in detail. The average American goes about his life not hating on Pakistan. If anything, there is admiration and gratitude for assistance in the WOT.

Also, the Average guy here simply wants to end the terror threat and see both Afghanistan AND Pakistan prosper.

 

[Don Jaguar]

What Chogy said is CORRECT.

Well, since you are in NY i had to believe on what you say!!!

But i have a question, What about the anti muslim rallies in NY we saw on T.V???

 

[WAQAS119]

No AIDS needed from U.S.................!

 

[VCheng]

Well, since you are in NY i had to believe on what you say!!!

But i have a question, What about the anti muslim rallies in NY we saw on T.V???

There are anti Muslim and anti Jew and anti - just about anything you can think of - rallies going on in NYC all the time. There is lively debate and discussion in universities and classrooms, but there is no hatred that is widespread or prevalent or virulent. There are pockets of fear and worry, yes, but more as result of wanting to be safe, but without malice towards an entire religion or nation.

If anything, there is a real desire to improve relations with Pakistan wherever possible.

Seriously.

 

[WAQAS119]

^^^An answer to your post.

 

[Andross]

Dont interfere in Kashmir Mr Yankee stay out! and solve your debt problem otherwise you can kiss defence deals goodbye like MRCA

 

[Farooq]

I think you guys living in Pakistan might be surprised at how LITTLE "bad" news on Pakistan is published. The stuff that is, is immediately posted and dissected here in detail. The average American goes about his life not hating on Pakistan. If anything, there is admiration and gratitude for assistance in the WOT.

Also, the Average guy here simply wants to end the terror threat and see both Afghanistan AND Pakistan prosper.

Not true. Most Americans favor India and have an extremely negative view of Pakistan, especially after the OBL drama.

 

[fd24]

NO NO NO we do not want and or need americans in any way. Let the indians have them.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

well as a 'guest' in the states, i can attest to the fact that a lot of people here in DC dont exactly have a 'favourable' view of Pakistan

not saying they have hostile attitude on Pakistan; but they'd agree on the same things we would agree on....our country is headed in an unfavourable direction. We and our leaders havent done enough to reverse the trend. Of course a lot of these things are beyond our locus of control --the external factors.

Pakistan today is facing very complex issues; the politics are complex. Outsiders would not understand unless they dig deep.


that's where I do my best to desribe those complexities. And the people here do give the time to listen to them. This is DC where many people are involved in politics or have some interest in it. People read the news, they know whats going on in the world (just not in detail).

I've had some very frank discussions with them myself. I've never encountered hostility. I have encountered wonderful people who I could call friends of Pakistan; educators, business people, some journalists too.

in fact, many of them also agree that the US needs to end all these wars and focus more on the domestic problems......so in that sense, like Americans --Pakistanis are also politically divided but want to see the wars end so that we can focus on our own domestic problems

I have a problem with people on both sides who think that generalizing and calling others' entire populations as "evil"

thats just emotional talk.


Pakistan-USA relationship has definitely taken a major beating. There's a lack of trust on official and civilian level. That should change. And that changes when the people who matter (the people on the ground) have a way to communicate and appreciate eachother.


Pakistani perspective --> Americans meddle in our internal affairs, force us into wars that werent ours, destablized region by waging war on Afghanistan, issue statements that are offensive to Pakistan, etc.

American perspective --> they take our aid money and still abuse us and some of them support our enemies, 9/11 mastermind was in their country, their govt is corrupt and unable to deliver basic services to the country, etc.


the media on both sides exacerbate the situation even further; as do politicians wishing to score points

 

[Jihad]

What Chogy said is CORRECT.

Right, and there are more than enough Americans who think of Pakistanis as "terrorists sons of a b****"

You can see it daily and also in their mainstream media, the way they portray our country is sheer brutality.

The majority of Americans don't want another 9/11 to happen, and they don't care what happens as long as America is safe and sound, it's as simple as that.

Ofcourse you have certain types of people, the more educated people who are well aware of what is going on in Pakistan and Afghanistan and recognize what role the U.S. is playing, and you also have the shortsighted and narrrowminded people who will bluntly scream out death and destruction for anything un-American or "different".

I think the least the U.S. can do is completely fund this dam project, that should serve as a tiny gesture of commitment and a way of saying thank you for letting us crash down in the region and f--ing your country up.

Well hey, the U.S. already made nuclear deals with India, the Indians shouldn't be whining, if the U.S. starts conducting something with Pakistan, they go bezerk.

Anyhow, the skepticism over this American involvement in the dam project is fully understandable.

And whether or not the Pakistani government has requested the U.S. to participate in it, it still does not comply with the average Pakistani whose opinion differs completely from our governments approach to the U.S.

 

[Arsalan]

that is BS!
the idea of helping Pakistan struck US only when every thing regarding the project have been sorted out. China have formally signed an agreement and the project is to be under taken with Chinese assistance. now US is just trying to sabotage the venture.

In a major development regarding the construction of Diamer Bhasha dam, China has agreed to completely finance the $8.5 billion project, sources in Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) told on Thursday.

German Company Lemhyer has issued final draft of the dam in which the company has projected the cost of dam at $8.5 billion against the earlier projected cost of $6.5 billion in the year 2005. Government wants to start the construction work on Bhasha dam in the year 2009, sources added.

Pakistan has turned to China regarding the financing of the project after World Bank refused to add the project in the $1.4 billion aid for current financial year 2008-09. They further said that World Bank lending rates are higher and China would provide loan on lower rates. Pakistan had submitted the draft of detailed engineering design of the dam and in response China has agreed to provide financing for the said project. Sources informed that China has also great expertise in the working on big dams and it has expert labour force and machinery for such purposes.

Chinese government has offered Pakistan to provide skilled labour for the construction of the Bhasha dam as it has 17,000 skilled labourers who have worked on three Gorges Dams in china, which are generating 30,000MW electricity. They said that China has also assured that it would hire a company to provide financing to Pakistan for the construction of the dam. Earlier, Pakistan was looking at Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank.

Government has allocated Rs 200 million in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2008-09 for Bhasha dam.

The government has started work to develop infrastructure for communication link of Bhasha dam and in this regard the work on a Karakuram Highway to link Bhasha dam was also in progress. Karakuram Highway would be upgraded at cost of Rs 11.578 billion and government has released Rs 2 billion for the said project.

Final draft of Bhasha dam: German Company Lehmar has issued final draft of Diamer Bhasha dam which indicated that as many as 37,000 families would be affected following the construction of the dam. Lehmar has submitted final detailed engineering design to the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in which it has recommended the government to set up nine model villages near Gilgat to accommodate the affected families. The company has also recommended allotting five Marlas for residence per family and six canals to one family for agriculture purpose.

According to the design, dam would generate 4500MW power and its water storage capacity would stand at 7.5 million acre feet (MAF) whereas dam would have four turbines and two powerhouses.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

if God Forbade, Pakistan goes with US, they will surely betray us in half way, China will also be angry and the project will be ruined!

 

[Patriot]

Regardless of what Americans think about us I think we are also at blame. A lot of Pakistanis went to Afghanistan to fight USA After 9/11..The Pakistanis had no business in Afghanistan and besides we should have never allowed Militants to take sanctuary in FATA (Waziristan). It's 100% our own doing IMHO.Now there is so much destruction in Pakistan - DO you guys think it is worth it?Eventually, our relations with all countries around the world will go sour if we don't clean our lands and get rid of terrorists.I mean certainly there is something wrong otherwise militants from around the world would not be coming to Pakistan.

 

[Imran Khan]

again i say no god damn AID for price of freedom and sovereignty .please don't sale our motherland .we are happy poor slums without power without water but 100% free.