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Friday March 29, 2024

Indian violation of Indus Water Treaty discussed with World Bank

By Wajid Ali Syed
May 22, 2018

WASHINGTON: The three-day water talks between the World Bank (WB) and Pakistan began here on Monday to mainly discuss Indian violations of the Indus Water Treaty.

A four member delegation led by Attorney General of Pakistan, Ashtar Ausaf reached the World Bank head office on Monday to apprise the Bank's president about the country's concerns of more than a dozen projects that India intends to complete along the Indus Basin.

Pakistan maintains that these projects will disrupt its water supplies, and insists that the design of Kishanganga Hydel was not in line with the criteria laid down under the Treaty. Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, told media on Saturday that its Foreign Ministry had suggested changes in the basic design to avoid Treaty violations but their proposals were ignored.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kishaganga plant on Saturday. Pakistan wants the World Bank to play its role as a mediator. Its Foreign Office on Friday also voiced concerns, saying that inauguration without resolution of dispute between the two countries was tantamount to violation of Indus Waters Treaty that regulates the use of waters in shared rivers.

The delegation intends to go beyond discussing the Kishanganga and hopes that the financial institution will also address Pakistan' concerns about Ratle and other Indian projects.