05-05-2025
In Another Blow To Pakistan, India To Ask World Bank To Pause Kishanganga-Ratle Case
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India is reportedly preparing to officially ask the World Bank-appointed neutral expert, Michel Lino, to pause the ongoing adjudication proceedings in Kishanganga-Ratle Case.
In an escalation following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India has effectively abandoned the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and taken sweeping steps that experts say could signal a new chapter in South Asia's geopolitical water diplomacy. From military readiness to diplomatic isolation, India appears to be cornering Pakistan on multiple fronts – and this time, the water tap is part of the strategy.
One of the most significant developments in this direction has been the abrupt diversion of the Chenab River, a lifeline for Pakistan's Punjab region. By closing the gates of the Baglihar Dam in Jammu and Kashmir, India has reportedly redirected the river's flow, drastically reducing water availability downstream.
The Chenab, among the three western rivers allocated to Pakistan under the IWT, contributes heavily to irrigation across vast agricultural tracts. Its diminished flow is now feared to trigger an acute water crisis, possibly even famine, in parts of Pakistan this summer.
This bold maneuver is not limited to water control alone. India has also moved to halt all engagement in the IWT dispute resolution process, particularly regarding the contentious Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects.
According to a report by The Economic Times, India is preparing to officially ask the World Bank-appointed neutral expert, Michel Lino, to pause the ongoing adjudication proceedings. The rationale India will present is rooted in 'changed circumstances" following the Pahalgam attack and the government's decision to place the entire treaty framework in abeyance.
'India is set to ask the World Bank-appointed neutral expert, mediating the Kishanganga-Ratle hydel project dispute since 2022-23 under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), to put the proceedings in abeyance," ET reported, citing high-level sources. The move is expected to be communicated soon in writing to the neutral expert, with a copy also sent to the World Bank, effectively freezing the three-party engagement.
The Kishanganga-Ratle dispute, one of the most technically and diplomatically complex under the IWT, was already deep into its neutral expert phase. As part of a structured work programme, Pakistan was scheduled to file its 'counter memorial" by August 7, 2025, following which a key meeting between the parties and the expert was slated for November. This session would have included presentations from both countries, expert questions, and preparation for a second site inspection in India, tentatively planned for December.
The process, which began in 2023, has already witnessed three rounds of high-level meetings in Vienna, exchange of extensive documentation, and a major site visit to the Kishanganga and Ratle project locations in June 2024. According to ET, the next phases would have included further submissions in early 2026 and a fifth meeting in July that year. All of this is now at risk of indefinite suspension.
India's posture appears to be aimed at delivering a comprehensive strategic response to the Pahalgam terror attack, one that simultaneously wields military readiness, legal disengagement, and environmental leverage.
While Pakistan has yet to issue an official response to this sweeping shift, the implications for regional stability and future water sharing are enormous. The IWT, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, has long been hailed as a model of resilient diplomacy. India's decision to back away from both the treaty and its dispute resolution process marks a historic, and potentially irreversible, break from that legacy.
