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Indus Waters Treaty: World Bank snubs Pakistan, asks it to accept India’s proposal

Pakistan had raised objections over India's plan to build Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects.

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The World Bank (WB) has asked Pakistan to withdraw its plea for setting up a ‘Court of Arbitration’ and accept India’s proposal to appoint a neutral expert on the dispute over Indus Waters Treaty, a Pak media report said today. Pakistan had raised objections over India's plan to build Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 330 MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan had protested the inauguration claiming that the project on a river flowing into Pakistan will disrupt water supplies.

Soon after, a high-powered Pakistani delegation led by Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali met with World Bank Chief Executive Officer Kristalina Georgieva and other senior officials but could not reach an agreement.

According to a report by The Express Tribune, the office of Attorney General received a letter from the World Bank on Thursday. The letter said that the WB was ready to appoint a neutral expert to examine the issue, if Pakistan gives up its demand for establishing of ‘Court of Arbitration’.

The report quoted sources saying that Pakistan is upset over the World Bank’s ‘discriminatory attitude’ and its continuous support to India in the last two year.

“It is evident from the facts that the WB deliberately lingered on the issue so that Pakistan could be denied opportunity to get stay order on the construction work on Kishanganga,” a senior Pakistan official, who was part of negotiation with the bank since July 2016, said. 

The report said that the World Bank’s recommendation to accept India’s proposal will be taken only after a new government comes to power after elections. 

Islamabad had been raising objections over the design of the 330 MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project, saying it is not in line with the criteria laid down under the Indus Waters Treaty between the two countries. But, India says the project design was well within parameters of the treaty.

The project, located at Bandipore in North Kashmir, envisages diversion of water of Kishan Ganga river to underground power house through a 23.25-km-long head race tunnel to generate 1713 million units per annum.

The Kishanganga project was started in 2007 but on May 17, 2010, Pakistan moved for international arbitration against India under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The Hague-based International Court of Arbitration allowed India in 2013 to go ahead with construction of the project in North Kashmir and upheld India's right under the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty to divert waters from the Kishanganga for power generation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The international court, however, decided that India shall release a minimum flow of nine cubic metres per second into the Kishanganga river (known as Neelam in Pakistan) at all times to maintain environmental flows.

(With PTI inputs) 

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