Islamabad: Pakistan has expressed its displeasure with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kashmir and the laying of foundation stones for the Rattle and Kwar hydropower projects on the Chenab River, which it claims is in "clear violation" of the Indus Waters Treaty.

Modi made his first public appearance in Jammu & Kashmir on Sunday after the repeal of Article 370 in August 2019.

Modi laid the foundation stone for the Rattle and Kwar hydroelectric projects, an 850 MW facility to be built on the Chenab river in Kishtwar at a cost of around Rs 5,300 crore and a 540 MW Kwar hydroelectric project to be built on the same river at a cost of over Rs 4,500 crore, respectively, during his visit.  Modi's visit to the valley was described by the Foreign Office as "yet another tactic to present faux normalcy" in the valley.

"The world community has witnessed several such desperate attempts by India to distract attention away from the genuine underlying concerns in Kashmir since August 5, 2019," the Foreign Office said in a statement late Sunday. The laying of foundation stones for the Rattle and Kwar hydroelectric projects (HEP) on the Chenab river in Kashmir was also criticised by Pakistan.

"Pakistan has questioned India's design for the Rattle hydroelectric station, and India has yet to fulfil its treaty commitment of exchanging information with Pakistan for the Kwar hydroelectric plant," the Foreign Office said. "Pakistan considers the Indian Prime Minister's laying of foundation stones for the two projects to be a direct violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960," the Foreign Office said.

Pakistan has urged India to fulfil its duties under the IWT and desist from taking any actions that may be detrimental to the IWT framework, it said.

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