NEW DELHI, Jan 18: India on Tuesday rejected Pakistan's move to seek the World Bank's arbitration in the Baglihar dam dispute as a move that was not be justified, saying the two countries were well placed to reolve the issue bilaterally.

Pakistan's move on Tuesday to invoke Article 9 (2) (A) of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty triggered off the expected reaction from New Delhi, which regards as a worrisome bugbear any move by Pakistan to take its disputes with India to an international forum.

"We do not believe that the reference to World Bank is justified," India's foreign ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna told reporters. "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," he said. In Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Masood Khan said "the decision to go to World Bank has been taken at a high-level meeting this morning presided over by Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz."

It was during Mr Aziz's visit to New Delhi in November that both countries had agreed to give the bilateral approach a last chance, which evidently did not succeed to break the logjam.

Pakistan has said it was willing to resume a dialogue with India on the issue if New Delhi first stops all work on the Baglihar dam till its final resolution. Indian officials say this is Islsmbad's way of discouraging development projects in Kashmir.