Pak mulling arbitration over Baglihar gates

After initially claiming victory and promising to accept the World Bank neutral expert’s verdict on the Baglihar power project, Pakistan is reportedly mulling approaching the Court of Arbitration over Raymond Lafitte’s decision to approve the spillway gates of the dam, which Islamabad claims would help India regulate the flow of water.

“Pakistan is considering moving the Court of Arbitration on the design of spillways of Baglihar hydropower project as Lafitte didn’t buy Islamabad’s point of view on the issue,” an unnamed senior government official was quoted as saying by The News. “A team of legal experts has started working out a case on the design of spillway gates keeping in view the verdict of the neutral expert.”

“As India can still regulate water of Chenab River through spillway gates, legal experts have started examining the decision in which the neutral expert has held that spillway gates are in conformity with international practice,” the official said.

Soon after the verdict was announced on February 12, Pakistan’s power and water minister Liaqat Jatoi had said it was a victory for Pakistan and that the verdict was binding on both sides. Jatoi had said “we will not ask the neutral expert again to review its decision on spillways,” but had added however that “the Court of Arbitration is the next forum wherein the case would be decided.”