MIAN ABRAR/AMER SIAL
A joint sitting of two National Assembly standing committees on Friday urged the World Bank to constitute without further delay the Court of Arbitration in accordance of its responsibilities under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) to adjudicate on issues raised by Pakistan against India’s ongoing construction of KG and Ratle hydro electric plants.
Moreover, the joint meeting of the National Assembly’s standing committees on Foreign Affairs and Water & Power asked the World Bank to immediately demand India an immediate halt to ongoing construction of Ratle Dam till the issue was resolved through the Court of International Arbitration.
The resolutions were passed unanimously by the members belonging to the different political parties to demonstrate the unity and one voice on the issue. The committee members were briefed by the Foreign Secretary, Secretary Water & Power and special invitee/expert on international treaties Ahmer Bilal Sufi on a common agenda titled “Indian threat to Indus Water Treaty and to chart out a course of action for Pakistan”.
The meeting was co-chaired by Sardar Awais Khan Leghari and Arshad Khan Leghari, the chairmen of the Committees.
Sufi briefed on overall water disputes among various states in different parts of the world and particularly on IWT with different legal dimensions and available options and recommendations for Pakistan.
During the meeting, the members of the both committees asked many critical questions on the subject which were answered by the relevant officers satisfactorily.
Those who attended the meeting included Sahibzada Nazeer Sultan, Mian Najeebuddin Awaisi, Muhammad Khan Daha, Tehmina Daultana, Rana Afzal Khan, Dr Nafisa Shah, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Dr Shireen Mazari, Dr Farooq Sattar, Ghous Bux Maher, Naeema Kishwar Khan, Mehmood Achakzai and Senior Officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Water & Power.
Briefing the meeting, Water and Power Secretary Dagha said Pakistan has unrestrictive rights over the western rivers under IWT. The treaty has been a good model as it withstood the challenges during the last 57 year, even though there were three wars in the period. ‘Pakistan is demanding constitution of COA over Ratle and Kishan Ganga while India wants appointment of neutral experts. India is using delaying tactics to complete the Ratle hydel power project. The World Bank has imposed pause till January 31, 2017. We have asked World Bank to impose a similar pause on India to stop her from progressing with the Ratle project, like India did in the past on Baghliar and Kishan Ganga’, he added. However, he did not agree with the argument of the legal expert Ahmar Bilal Sufi that Pakistan should avail options under international law to settle the issue.
Foreign Affairs Azaz Chaudhary Secretary said that the India has resorted to extreme step of challenging IWT after the uprising in the India Occupied Kashmir. He said that it was one part of the many anti-Pakistan steps taken by the Modi government. The issue was now more strategic and technical that’s why we have proposed to WB for COA. However, he said that WB was not a mediator but facilitator between the two countries on IWT. COA was required as it was not a point of difference but a point of dispute.