DNA Edit: World Bank’s snub should make it see reason

Pakistan’s insecurities regarding India manifest in various forms, the latest being the Kishanganga dam in Kashmir, which, the former considers a violation of the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960. It took none other than the World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, to drill some sense into India’s neighbour when it snubbed Islamabad’s proposal to take the matter to the International Court of Arbitration. 

New Delhi has maintained that its differences with Islamabad over the dam pertain to design issues and that a neutral committee of experts should be able to help reach an amicable solution. However, for an obdurate adversary, taking the logical path is an anathema.

Pakistan fears that listening to the voice of reason — in other words accepting India’s proposal — would entail forfeiting its right to knock on the doors of international courts. In 2011, Pakistan had been successful in temporarily halting the construction of the dam when the Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration gave in to its desperate pleas. Had there been merit in Pakistan’s grievances, international bodies would have impressed upon India to discontinue the project.

It has been demonstrated time and again that despite India’s best intentions, Pakistan continues with its opposition in every conceivable way. It refuses to acknowledge India’s need for hydel power and expects to be lent a sympathetic ear even when its apprehensions are completely unfounded.

Though India has sometimes threatened to ‘weaponise’ the waters of the Indus River basin to teach Pakistan a lesson, it has never acted on it. Given the long history of animosity between the two countries and Pak-sponsored terrorism on the Indian soil, New Delhi has shown remarkable restraint even after the Uri attack. Islamabad tends to forget such acts of generosity.