WASHINGTON – Pakistan’s high-level delegation has departed to the UnitedStates to hold talks with the World Bank officials on the dispute withIndia about the construction of the Kishenganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle(850 megawatts) hydroelectric power plants being built by India.
The move that is an attempt to block the flow of water to Pakistan underthe Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) 1960.
The delegation, led by Indus Water Commissioner Meher Ali Shah, comprisesof officials from the relevant bodies involved to discuss the disputecomprehensively, including the Ministry of Water Resources.
It will hold talks with the World Bank officials to ensure theimplementation of the IWT, and will express its concerns about theconstruction of the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants.
Importantly, the matter of taking this issue to the Court of Arbitrationwill also be discussed with the World Bank as it guarantees theimplementation of the IWT between Pakistan and India.
On Oct. 17, the Foreign Office had warned India that any move to block theflow of water to Pakistan under the IWT would be considered “an act ofaggression”.
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FO Spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal, at his weekly media briefing, had remindedIndia of Pakistan’s “exclusive rights” under the IWT to receive water fromthe Indus, the Chenab and the Jhelum rivers and had mentioned that “anyattempt to divert flows of these rivers will be considered an act ofaggression and Pakistan has the right to respond”.
He said Pakistan would exercise the appropriate options available to it.
The spokesman was responding to a statement by Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, during an election rally in Haryana, in which he had said:“For 70 years, water that belonged to Haryana’s farmers and us flowed toPakistan. … But, this Modi will stop that water and bring it to yourhouses.
I have already started working on it. The water belongs to India andfarmers of Haryana.”
