New Delhi: Pakistan has moved the Court of
Arbitration asking it to direct India to stop work at the
330-MW Kishenganga hydro power project in Jammu and Kashmir.
Even as the two countries are fighting a legal battle in
a court of arbitration, Pakistan has filed a petition in the
court seeking a direction to make India hold the project till
the case is settled by the court, sources in the government
said.
The project is likely to be completed by 2015.
"It is a normal procedure adopted during such cases," a
senior official said.
A seven-judge Bench has started the arbitration
proceedings from January 14 this year in the Hague.
Incidentally, this is the first case referred to
international arbitration under the provisions of the Indus
Water Treaty, 1960.
Earlier, India and Pakistan had sought the services of a
neutral expert appointed by the World Bank to resolve their
differences over the 450 MW Baglihar dam under construction on
the Chenab river.
The Bench comprising Justice Stephen M Schwebel (head),
Justice Sir Franklin Beman, Prof Howard S Wheater, Justice
Bruno Simma, Jan Paulsson, Justice Peter Tomka and Lucius
Caflisch has three neutral umpires, including the head of
the Bench, and four arbitrators nominated by India and
Pakistan.
Noted lawyer and expert on international law Shankar Das
and legal luminary Fali S Nariman, both of whom had argued
India`s case in the Baglihar dam issue, are representing
India, supported by a clutch of foreign counsel.
PTI
