New Delhi:

“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,” Economic Times (ET) reported, citing sources aware of the development.

The November meeting, part of the neutral expert proceedings addressing the Kishanganga-Ratle hydel project dispute, would have involved presentations from both countries, expert questions, and preparation for a December site inspection in India.

Pakistan was also scheduled to file a “counter memorial” by August 7, 2025. The ongoing process, which began in 2023 with three meetings in Vienna, extensive documentation exchange, and a 2024 site visit, the next phases would have included further submissions in early 2026 and a fifth meeting in July that yea is now indefinitely suspended.

India is set to inform the World Bank and neutral expert Michel Lino about its decision to suspend participation in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) dispute-resolution proceedings in Vienna.

This comes as India has suspended the water-sharing pact with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 25 tourists and a Kashmiri. India will request Lino’s office to postpone upcoming meetings, including a scheduled November meeting in Vienna and a subsequent site visit, as the treaty is currently in abeyance.

This move is part of a broader Indian strategy to pressure Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack. India has also diverted the Chenab River, a crucial water source for Pakistan’s Punjab region, by closing the gates of the Baglihar Dam. This action threatens to create a severe water crisis in Pakistan.

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