A senior World Bank official informed that India and Pakistan are holding serious high-level technical discussions on the issue of the Indus Water Treaty.
The Indus Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, after nine long years of discussion over the matter with the intervention of the World Bank, who is also a member of the treaty.
A senior bank official informed that both the countries were holding an important discussion regarding the treaty in Washington on September 14-15. According to the World Bank, the treaty stated that India was allowed to construct hydroelectric power facilities on tributaries of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers with certain restrictions.
According to a fact sheet issued after the conclusion of secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan, the latter was opposing the construction of the Kishanganga (330 megawatts) and Rattle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric power plants being built by India. The sheet also stated that the role of the World Bank is only limited to the designation of people to fulfill certain roles when requested by either or both of the countries.