World Bank expert vindicated our stand on Indus pact: India | India News

India was upset after Pakistan unilaterally sought a parallel process to address the issue despite World Bank asking both to tackle it mutually NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday welcomed the ruling by the World Bank-appointed neutral expert that said differences between India and Pakistan over the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power projects in J&K fall within his competence under the Indus Waters Treaty.
Govt sees this as a vindication of its stand and interpretation of the treaty as it does not recognise or participate in the parallel and “illegally constituted” court of arbitration proceedings being carried out at Pakistan’s request.
In an official statement on the neutral expert’s decision, govt also said it remains in touch with Pakistan for the modification and review of the IWT. India had last year cited cross-border terrorism as one of the reasons for seeking a review of the treaty.
“India welcomes the decision given by the neutral expert under Paragraph 7 of Annexure F to the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960. The decision upholds and vindicates India’s stand that all seven questions that were referred to the neutral expert, in relation to the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects, are differences falling within his competence under the treaty,” govt said.
India was upset that despite the World Bank asking both countries to find a mutually agreeable way to look into Pakistan’s objections to the projects, Islamabad had unilaterally sought a parallel process to address the issue. Govt said it has been India’s “consistent and principled” position that the neutral expert alone has the competence under the treaty to decide these differences.
“Having upheld his own competence, which comports with India’s view, the neutral expert will now proceed to the next (merits) phase of his proceeding. This phase will culminate in a final decision on the merits of each of the seven differences,” it said.
“Being committed to preserving the sanctity and integrity of the treaty, India will continue to participate in the neutral expert process so that the differences are resolved in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Treaty, which does not provide for parallel proceedings on the same set of issues. For this reason, India does not recognize or participate in the illegally constituted Court of Arbitration proceeding.”

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