WASHINGTON, Jan 17: A World Bank official has said that Pakistan's efforts to settle its dispute over the Baglihar hydropower project with India through third party mediation may not be very fruitful.

Talking to reporters here, the official said the 1960 treaty clearly said that an international arbitration could only be sought through mutual consent and India could delay adjudication by refusing to give its consent.

The official, however, expressed the belief that Pakistan and India could still settle the dispute bilaterally. He said that since 9/11 India had successfully portrayed itself as a victim of "Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attacks" in Kashmir and would like to maintain the advantage.

On the water issue, he said, India was clearly in a weaker position and if it was seen as depriving Pakistan of a natural source of water, it would lose the advantage it had gained over the issue of terrorism. That's why, the official said, he believed India would ultimately settle the issue amicably with Pakistan.