‘Can’t interpret it for us’: India’s jibe at World Bank on Indus Water Treaty

“It’s a treaty between our two nations and our evaluation of the treaty is that there’s a provision of graded strategy,” Exterior Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated.

A highway at confluence of the Indus and Zanskhar rivers in Ladakh (Picture: File/Reuters)

By Press Trust of India: India on Thursday questioned the World Financial institution’s resolution to nominate a Court docket of Arbitration and a impartial professional below two separate processes to resolve variations between New Delhi and Islamabad over the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric tasks in Jammu and Kashmir. Final week, India issued a notice to Pakistan seeking a review and modification of the 62-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) for administration of cross-border rivers following Islamabad’s “intransigence” in dealing with disputes.

“I don’t suppose they (World Financial institution) are able to interpret the treaty for us. It’s a treaty between our two nations and our evaluation of the treaty is that there’s a provision of graded strategy,” Exterior Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated.

India took the numerous step of sending the discover to Pakistan conveying its intent to amend the treaty months after the World Financial institution introduced appointing a impartial professional and a chair of Court docket of Arbitration to resolve the variations over the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric tasks. New Delhi has been significantly disenchanted over the appointment of the Court docket of Arbitration.

“India’s Indus Water Commissioner issued a discover on January 25 for the modification of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 to his Pakistani counterpart,” Bagchi stated at a media briefing whereas replying to a query on the matter. “This discover was issued with the intent to offer a possibility to Pakistan to enter into government-to-government negotiations to rectify ongoing materials breach of the treaty,” he stated.

ALSO READ | Indus water treaty: Demands for its renewal are not new, but what has changed now

Bagchi stated India referred to as upon Pakistan to inform an appropriate date for the graduation of inter-state bilateral negotiations below article 12(III) of the treaty inside 90 days. “I’m not conscious of a response from Pakistan as but. I’m not conscious of any response or remark by the World Financial institution,” he stated. The World Financial institution’s function is procedural and it appoints impartial consultants or the chair of the court docket of arbitration in case of variations between India and Pakistan on points regarding cross-border rivers.

“I don’t suppose they (World Financial institution) are able to interpret the treaty for us. It’s a treaty between our two nations and our evaluation of the treaty is that there’s a provision of graded strategy,” Bagchi stated.

New Delhi considers the beginning of the 2 concurrent processes to resolve the dispute a violation of the availability of the graded mechanism prescribed within the pact and puzzled what is going to occur if the mechanisms come out with contradictory judgements.

“The world financial institution itself, round five-six years in the past, acknowledged the issue of getting two parallel processes. Our interpretation and evaluation is that this isn’t in consonance with the provisions of the treaty and therefore we now have been speaking a few graded strategy,” Bagchi stated.

ALSO READ | Why did India send notice to Pakistan over Indus Waters Treaty?

The spokesperson stated India’s place on the matter has not modified in any respect. “I have no idea whether or not the World Financial institution has modified its place on it,” he stated. India has not cooperated with the Court docket of Arbitration.

Underneath the pact, any variations have to be resolved below a three-stage strategy. Nonetheless, within the circumstances of Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric tasks, the World Financial institution began two concurrent dispute redressal processes on the insistence of Pakistan that India felt was a breach of the IWT, based on sources.

ALSO READ | India sends notice to Pakistan on Indus Water Treaty, blames it of ‘intransigence’