Washington: The World Bank has said it failed to arrive at an agreement
with a visiting Pakistani delegation on a way forward to address
Islamabad's concerns regarding the Indus Waters Treaty with India.
Over two days Monday and yesterday — a high-powered Pakistani
delegation led by Attorney General, Ashtar Ausaf Ali, met with
Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank Chief Executive Officer, and the
regional management for South Asia.
During the meetings, held at Pakistan's request to discuss issues
regarding the Indus Waters Treaty and opportunities within the treaty
to seek an amicable resolution, "several procedural options" for
resolving the disagreement over the interpretation of the treaty's
provisions were discussed, the bank said.
"While an agreement on the way forward was not reached at the
conclusion of the meetings, the World Bank will continue to work with
both countries to resolve the issues in an amicable manner and in line
with the treaty provisions," the Bank said in a statement at the end of
the talks.
"The delegation of the Government of Pakistan also shared with the
Bank their concerns about the recent inauguration of the Kishanganga
hydroelectric plant," the statement said.
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had 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.
The Embassy of Pakistan here did not immediately respond to
questions related to the World Bank meeting.
"The Indus Waters Treaty is a profoundly important international
agreement that provides an essential cooperative framework for India
and Pakistan to address current and future challenges of effective
water management to meet human needs and achieve development
goals," the Bank said.
As a signatory to the Treaty, the World Bank's role is limited and
procedural, it noted.
"In particular, the role in relation to differences and disputes is limited
to the designation of people to fulfill certain roles when requested by
either or both parties," the Bank said.
At the conclusion of the talks, the World Bank said it remained
committed to "act in good faith and with complete impartiality and
transparency" in fulfilling its responsibilities under the treaty, while
continuing to assist the two countries.
The World Bank did not respond to question if it approached India on
the Pakistani allegations.
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.
Pakistan is building a 969 MW Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric project
downstream. Agencies
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