ISLAMABAD, Oct 20: Pakistan on Friday opted to keep quiet over an Indian claim that the World Bank neutral expert arbitrating on the Baglihar dam dispute in his ‘draft final determination’ had rejected Islamabad’s contention that New Delhi had violated the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.
A report in the Indian media on Thursday quoting unnamed official sources in Srinagar claimed that the World Bank appointed a neutral expert, Raymond Latiffe, during his last meeting in Paris had upheld the Indian position. At the Paris meeting early this month the neutral expert had shared his ‘draft final determination’ with the two parties and asked them to forward him their written comments on it by October 26.
A couple of officials involved in the Baglihar talks when contacted by this correspondent declined to offer any comments on the reported Indian claim.
An official who refused to be drawn into the controversy underscored that both parties had given an undertaking to the neutral expert not to make any statements, publicly or privately, on the ‘draft final determination’ and said: “We want to keep our pledge.”—Q.A.
