NewsApril 11 , 2017
Pak-India secretary-level talks likely in US by end of April
ISLAMABAD: In a new development, Pakistan and India secretary-level talks for developing a consensus in the light of Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) on the mechanism for resolution of ‘faulty designs’ of 300MW Kishenganga and 850MW Ratle hydropower projects may now be held either by end of the current month or in the first week of next month in Washington, a senior official told The News.Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif on March 20, while addressing a news conference, had given breaking news, saying that Indo-Pak secretary-level talks were going to take place in Washington from April 11-13, not knowing that the World Bank had just proposed the dates for talks which were yet to be finalised with India and Pakistan. Pakistan was already prepared for the talks, but India was not ready on the dates proposed by the World Bank. However, talks on the two projects on the said dates are not being held as consultations between Pakistan and India with the help of World Bank are still underway to finalise the dates. “And we are hopeful that belated talks will take place by the end of current month,” the official said.
The official said the World Bank’s repute is at stake and it is trying its best to arrange the talks between the two nuclear states of India and Pakistan over selection of a mechanism for resolution of the dispute of both the projects being built on Chenab and Jhelum rivers.
The World Bank wants both the countries to develop a consensus either on mechanism of neutral expert or of court of arbitration mentioned in the treaty for the resolution of issues pertaining to the said projects. And in case of failure, both the countries need to develop an agreement on the middle way to resolve the issues.
In case of secretary of water and power level meeting held between both the countries, one of the top men of the World Bank would also be the part of the meeting and they would try to persuade both the parties to reach consensus to any of the mechanisms or find out the middle way.
Pakistan wants the World Bank to constitute court of arbitration to resolve the disputes, but India wants the solution through the mechanism of neutral experts, which is why the World Bank announced a ‘pause’ on December 12, 2016 till the agreement on procedure or mechanism between the parties to the dispute. India is also keen to resolve the issue through out-of-court settlement.
Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk
Back to Pakistanlink Home