“Neutral expert upholds India’s stand on Indus Water Treaty: How Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects rattled Pakistan”, Opindia, January 21, 2025:
“On 21st January, the World Bank-appointed neutral expert declared that it has the authority to resolve the disputes between Bharat and Pakistan regarding two hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir under the terms of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. Notably, the ruling supported New Delhi’s stance. An official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was released which conveyed, “India welcomes the decision given by the neutral expert under Paragraph 7 of Annexure F to the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960.”
According to the Indus Waters Treaty’s Annexure F, paragraph 7, a neutral expert will decide if the Permanent Indus Commission is unable to reach a consensus. After hearing from both sides, the neutral expert will determine whether the disagreement is covered by the treaty. MEA further expressed, “The decision upholds and vindicates Bharat’s stand that all seven (07) questions that were referred to the neutral expert, about the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects, are differences falling within his competence under the treaty.”
The ministry pointed out that Bharat has consistently and firmly maintained that the neutral expert is the only person authorized by the treaty to resolve these conflicts and highlighted, “Having upheld his own competence, which comports with Bharat’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…….”
Read the full article at Opindia.com
