New Delhi: 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.
“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.
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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.
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.
