New Delhi: The World Bank has paused the separate processes initiated by India and Pakistan to resolve differences over usage of the waters of the river Indus to allow the two countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their disagreements.

This comes after a protest lodged by India in October over the two separate but parallel processes which New Delhi said could produce contradictory results.

“We are announcing this pause to protect the Indus Waters Treaty and to help India and Pakistan consider alternative approaches to resolving conflicting interests under the treaty and its application to two hydroelectric power plants," World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim said, according to PTI.

The “pause" was announced by Kim in letters to the finance ministers of India and Pakistan. It was also emphasised that the Bank was acting to safeguard the treaty.

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Halting the process for the moment, the Bank said it would hold off from appointing the chairman for the court of arbitration as demanded by Pakistan or the neutral expert as asked for by India—appointments that had been expected on 12 December as earlier communicated by the Bank.

Pakistan had sought the appointment of a chairman for the court of arbitration deeming the differences to be a dispute whereas India had sought the appointment of a neutral expert on the grounds that there were differences between the two countries over the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir.

India’s argument was that the two processes going on simultaneously were “legally untenable."

According to the World Bank, both processes initiated by the respective countries were advancing at the same time, creating a risk of contradictory outcomes that could potentially endanger the treaty.

“This is an opportunity for the two countries to begin to resolve the issue in an amicable manner and in line with the spirit of the treaty rather than pursuing concurrent processes that could make the treaty unworkable over time. I would hope that the two countries will come to an agreement by the end of January," Kim said.

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The differences between India and Pakistan under the treaty concern the Kishenganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric power plants. The power plants are being built by India on the Kishenganga and Chenab rivers, respectively.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed his government to step up exploitation of India’s share of water in the Indus Water Treaty, and called off India’s participation in meetings of Indus water commissioners on 27 September. This was in response to the 18 September Uri terrorist attack.

Additionally, it was then decided that the meetings of Indus water commissioners, meant to iron out disputes, would be held “only in an atmosphere free of terror."

The sharing of water from the Indus is governed by the Indus Water Treaty. Signed by India and Pakistan in 1960, it lays down the framework for sharing the waters from the Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum rivers.

It specifies that waters from the three western rivers—Indus, Jhelum and Chenab—are reserved for Pakistan, while those from the three eastern rivers—Ravi, Sutlej and Beas—are for India.

The treaty also sets out a process for resolving so-called “questions", “differences" and “disputes" that may arise between the two parties.

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