World Bank refuses Paksitan's proposal to mediate on Indo-Pak water dispute

The World Bank has rejected Pakistan's proposal which demanded the financial organisation to mediate on water dispute between India and Pakistan. Expressing its inability on the appointment of a neutral expert or court of arbitration(COA) for resolution of dispute, World Bank has instructed Pakistan that each international locations seek to appoint a impartial skilled or courtroom arbitration.

On completing his fiver-year term in Islamabad, Petchmuthu Illangovan, former World Bank's director of Pakistan affairs, has said that India and Pakistan should collectively work to reach out to a settlement. While Islamabad has made a request for appointment of a COA, India had sought a neutral expert to resolve their dispute on two hydroelectric projects.

"Both India and Pakistan should come together as to which option to take forward," Illangovan was quoted as saying.

What is Indo-Pak water dispute?

Since 1948, India and Pakistan have a dispute over sharing of water rightd to the Indus river and its tributaries Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej which flow in each India and Pakistan.

Pakistan accuses India of exploiting water by building dams on these rivers that leads to drought like situation in the country due to the shortage of water.

To settle the dispute, the Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan, brokered by World Bank, on 19 September 1960 BY Jawaharlal Nehru and Ayub Khan.

Accoding to the treaty, India has the right over waters of three eastern rivers - the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej while Pakistan has the control over the water of three western rivers - the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.

The Indus Waters Treaty 1960 is seen as one of the most successful international treaties between two conflicting countries - India and Pakistan. However, time and again, Pakistan keeps accusing India of violation of the treaty.