Casting a shadow on the ongoing dialogue between the two countries, Pakistan today said it was approaching the World Bank to intervene and settle the dispute over India’s plans to build the Baglihar dam on the Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir. Reacting to the announcement, New Delhi said technical deliberations to resolve differences should continue and ‘‘reference to the World Bank is not justified.’’ At the same time, South Block made it clear that construction at the project site would not stop just because Islamabad had decided to move the World Bank. Islamabad objects to the 450 MW-hydel power project dam on the Chenab river, saying it would affect flows into Pakistan and contravene the 1960 Indus Water Treaty brokered by the World Bank. In Islamabad, Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan said Pakistan was seeking arbitration over the Baglihar dam project under Article 9 (2)(a) of the Indus Waters Treaty. Khan said Pakistan wanted the World Bank to appoint a neutral expert. Pakistan is concerned that in the event of a conflict Indian could use the dam to cause droughts or floods in its key agricultural province of Punjab. But in New Delhi, the Ministry of Eternal Affairs spokesperson said: ‘‘Our view has been that during the detailed discussions held at the level of secretaries of Water Resources recently, there has been some convergence. We believe that through continued technical discussions, further convergence would be promoted. We do not believe the reference to the World Bank is justified.’’ Official sources said that the 450 MW-project will benefit the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the state government is very keen that the project is completed at the earliest. (With Reuters from Islamabad) THE BAGLIHAR BRIEF
