World Bank clarifies limited role in Indus Waters Treaty amid India-Pakistan tensions

Guwahati, May 9: Amid escalating diplomatic tensions following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by India, the World Bank has clarified its limited role in the matter, dealing a blow to Pakistan’s hopes of international intervention. World Bank President Ajay Banga dismissed reports suggesting that the Bank would take active steps to resolve the dispute.

“There’s a lot of speculation in the media about how the World Bank will step in and fix the problem, but it’s all bunk. The World Bank’s role is merely as a facilitator,” Banga said. His remarks come in the wake of Pakistan’s announcement that it would approach the World Bank to reverse what it called India’s “unilateral and illegal” suspension of the treaty.

India put the treaty on hold following a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed 26 lives.

Thereafter, New Delhi took a series of diplomatic and strategic countermeasures, including closing the Attari-Wagah border, expelling top Pakistani military attaches, and cancelling short-term visas for Pakistani nationals.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on May 8 addressed the issue at a press briefing, asserting that India had made repeated attempts over the years to resolve emerging concerns related to the treaty.

“We sent several letters to them, requesting negotiation to discuss modifications of this treaty. India has, for six plus decades, honoured this treaty,” Misri said. “Pakistan is the one acting in violation of the treaty, deliberately creating roadblocks in India exercising its legitimate rights over the western rivers,” he added.

Signed in 1960 in Karachi with the World Bank as broker, the Indus Waters Treaty allocated usage of the rivers of the Indus basin — granting India control over the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) and Pakistan over the western ones (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab). The treaty does allow India certain non-consumptive and limited uses of the western rivers, including for agriculture and hydroelectric power, as long as the provisions are respected.

Following the suspension, Pakistan reiterated that it would protect its “vital national interests” for its 240 million citizens. However, the World Bank’s clear stance now leaves the resolution of the dispute squarely in the realm of bilateral diplomacy.

While tensions remain high, the clarification from the World Bank reinforces the need for both nations to engage directly and constructively if a long-term solution is to be reached.