Pak shelves plan of moving to World Bank over water disputes with India

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has shelved its plans of moving to the World Bank (WB) for resolving the long pending water distribution issues with India, as the two countries are preparing themselves for foreign secretary-level talks later this month.

According to sources, Pakistan, which had earlier threatened to take the Kishanganga dam issue to the World Bank, has now postponed the move and is waiting for the outcome of the foreign secretary-level talks, which is scheduled to take place on February 25 in New Delhi.

Officials of Pakistani and Indian water authorities may hold a meeting in March to discuss various issues pertaining to water distribution and building of dams.

“We have invited the Indian team in March in Islamabad to review the overall water issues, controversies and dispatching of an inspection team to Indus Rivers Indian sites,” The News quoted sources, as saying.

The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), inked between India and Pakistan in 1960, provides appointment of a neutral expert by the World Bank as a last option to resolve water related issues between both countries.

Pakistan has been blaming India for an unsporting attitude during bilateral talks, which were initiated to resolve the impending water dispute.

Pakistan has been opposing the construction of the Kishanganga hydropower project on Ganga River in Kashmir, which is called Neelum upon entering Pakistan. Pakistan has said that the diversion of the waters of the Neelum is not allowed under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, and it will face a 27 per cent water deficit, when the project gets completed.

The reduced water flow in the Neelum would not yield the required results of the proposed 1.6 billion dollars Neelum-Jehlum hydropower project that has been designed to generate 969 MW of electricity.

It has said that India has almost completed a 22-kilometre long tunnel to divert Kishanganga waters to Wullar Lake in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)