LAHORE, Feb 15: The Punjab Water Council (PWC) on Thursday rejected the World Bank’s verdict on the Baglihar Dam and asked the federal government to go into appeal against it.

Addressing a press conference, Hamid Malhi of the PWC said both parties — Pakistan and India — were claiming victory after the verdict. “If that is the case, who stands defeated? Unfortunately, farmers from Punjab stand defeated. They have partially lost water of the Chenab and, as a consequence, will suffer every Rabi season,” he said.

He said the World Bank had issued a preliminary report some four months ago and sent a copy of it to the Pakistan government. But the Ministry of Water and Power did not release it to the public. It was only few days before the final verdict when the ministry released it.

The government should also conduct an inquiry into the secrecy of the report and those responsible for “this national crime” should be taken to task, he demanded.

Even after the announcement of the final verdict, no one in Pakistan seemed to have a copy of it and no one was ready to share it.

The federal government should ensure that a copy of it reached every stakeholder, he demanded.

The ability or sincerity of the Pakistan government in fighting the case could be judged from the fact that the consultants it hired for the purpose were from the same company which was constructing the dam across the border. It only helped it lose the case, he insisted.

India was building a 440-metre high dam on the Chenab, and the Pakistan government was happy because it had been able to get reduced the height by 1.5 metre. One could only lament the naivety of the government, he said.